Ray LaHood, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, recently announced an impressive decrease in the number of distracted driving incidents in Syracuse, New York and Hartford, Connecticut after increased efforts in both cities.

Authorities in both cities stepped up enforcement and increased efforts to get the word out about the dangers of distracted driving.

Distracted driving includes not only cell phone use and texting but the use of other media or radio sources in the vehicle, putting on makeup, eating, drinking or any other activity that takes attention away from driving as a primary purpose behind the wheel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has concluded that strong laws and visible police presence works to lower the use of cell phones and texting while driving.

Local programs received $200,000 in national funding and $100,000 from their respective state governments. Most people believe the money was well-spent as many types of distracted driving were influenced successfully:

  • Cell phone use while driving decreased 57 percent in Hartford
  • Texting and driving fell 32 percent in Syracuse
  • Handheld phone use fell 32 percent in Syracuse

These efforts followed an announcement from the Governor's Highway Safety Association pushing for the remaining 41 states without highway cell phone bans to adopt the policies.

An Attorney Can Help

Despite the best efforts of lawmakers and police, distracted driving continues to cause serious accidents. If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident with a distracted driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can assess your case and help you get the compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering you deserve. For more information, contact an attorney today.