The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently held an event to address challenges combating distracted driving.
“Driving while distracted has become a significant challenge in vehicles, even more so than back in 2010 when USDOT began its Distraction Program,” U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg said during opening remarks. “Back then most people still had flip phones and cars had buttons and knobs. As technology changes how we interact with our vehicles and our world, this forum will help us do more to help drivers stay engaged in the driving task in modern cars with advanced safety features.”
The USDOT launched the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), an initiative to bring the number of roadway deaths to zero, in early 2022.
During the event, the department reaffirmed its commitment to addressing roadway fatalities that result from distracted driving, discussed how the traffic safety community can reduce distracted driving, and listened to experts on NHTSA education, research, policy, and communications activities.
The activities were used in the 2024 NRSS Progress Report to develop a distraction research roadmap.
The forum also included breakout discussions, panel discussions, and fireside chats.