Distracted driving kills about 3,000 people each year. According to the United State Department of Transportation, that amounts to 1 out of every 10 traffic related deaths in the U.S. Its become what Transportation Secretary calls, "a national epidemic." Now the Transportation Department is stepping up its efforts to fight distracted driving.
Currently, 38 state have banned the use of hand held devices while behind the wheel. Kansas is one of them. State lawmakers passed a bill in 2010 banning texting while driving. That law went in effect in 2011. The Transportation department is putting the pressure on the remaining state with no such law.
Also, the Transportation Department wants automakers to reduse dash board and in-behicle distrations for drivers, and want to better educate new and young drivers of the dangers of distracted driving.
According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, there were 14,884 distracted driving related accidents last year resultsing in 88 deaths. already this year, there have been 5,041 distracted driving related accidents resulting in 32 deaths.
