With poll: University of Michigan associate research professor speaking at national Distracted Driving Summit today

Enemy number one, it seems, is cell phones. Secretary of Transportation Roy LaHood called distracted driving a “menace to society,” the Associated Press reported at the start of the Distracted Driving Summit today.

David Eby, a University of Michigan research associate professor and head of social and behavioral analysis at the U-M Transportation Research Institute, is pegged as a panel speaker at the event at 3:15 p.m. today.

The panel will discuss the impact of current and future technology on distracting drivers and the impact certain technology might have to prevent driver distraction.

Those who are interested can check out the U.S. DOT’s Web site to watch live Web casts of the summit today and tomorrow.

At the Detroit Economic Club yesterday, the Detroit News reported AT&T chief executive officer Randall Stephenson's speech discussing the company's push against customers' text messaging while driving. Other media outlets, such as the Dallas Morning News, reported the federal summit will target bans on texting while driving.

Do you allow yourself to be distracted while driving?

• I try not to. But I sneak text messages and phone calls from time to time.
• I'll text. I'll talk. Using the cell phone while driving is not that big of a distraction.
• I'll allow myself some phone calls, but no text messaging.
• I limit my phone use. But I do allow other distractions while driving.
• No way. No cell phone use or other distractions at all. Driving can be dangerous enough.

Created on Sep 30, 2009

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