| Columbia County Sheriff's Office |
David W. Harrison, Jr., SHERIFF James R. Sweet, UNDERSHERIFF
| Copyright ©2006 Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Hudson, NY 12534 |
Taking Action Against Driver Distraction
August 13, 2007
Columbia County, NY Columbia County Sheriff David W. Harrison, Jr. and Sheriffs’ Offices across New
York are “Taking Action Against Driver Distraction.” From August 26th thru August 31st, Sheriffs’ Offices
throughout New York State will be focusing their attention on what you are doing while you are driving. This
week-long effort is to reinforce the enormous responsibility that every driver shares when operating a motor
vehicle. Operating a motor vehicle is a full time job!
In 2003, research by the National Highway Traffic Administration estimated that driver inattention contributed
to 25% of police-reported crashes. Three short years later, another study determined that driver
distraction/inattention was a leading contributing factor in automobile crashes and near-crashes. That study
showed that almost 80% of automobile crashes and 65% of near-crashes occurred within three seconds of
some type of distraction. The main cause of driver distraction was cell phone use.
In 1985, it was estimated that there were 91,600 mobile phone subscribers in the United States. That number
increased to 197,680,004 in 2005 and continues to grow. It is estimated that 70 to 90% of drivers in the
United States use their phones while driving at least some of the time. It is believed that at any one time 3 to
5 % of drivers are talking on their phone.
It is a fact that cell phones distract drivers in several ways. Instead of focusing on the physical tasks of
driving, drivers are using one or two hands to manipulate the phone. The driver’s visual attention and
auditory focus is divided as well. Finally, cognitively your thoughts while driving are split between the road,
your surroundings and the topics of your phone conversation.
You don’t have to go any further then your own community to realize that tragic things happen to good
people. Through rising awareness and enforcement we hope to minimize the adverse effects of driver
distraction and improve the safety on our highways. We also urge State and other local law enforcement
agencies to assist us in our endeavor.
August 13, 2007
Columbia County, NY Columbia County Sheriff David W. Harrison, Jr. and Sheriffs’ Offices across New
York are “Taking Action Against Driver Distraction.” From August 26th thru August 31st, Sheriffs’ Offices
throughout New York State will be focusing their attention on what you are doing while you are driving. This
week-long effort is to reinforce the enormous responsibility that every driver shares when operating a motor
vehicle. Operating a motor vehicle is a full time job!
In 2003, research by the National Highway Traffic Administration estimated that driver inattention contributed
to 25% of police-reported crashes. Three short years later, another study determined that driver
distraction/inattention was a leading contributing factor in automobile crashes and near-crashes. That study
showed that almost 80% of automobile crashes and 65% of near-crashes occurred within three seconds of
some type of distraction. The main cause of driver distraction was cell phone use.
In 1985, it was estimated that there were 91,600 mobile phone subscribers in the United States. That number
increased to 197,680,004 in 2005 and continues to grow. It is estimated that 70 to 90% of drivers in the
United States use their phones while driving at least some of the time. It is believed that at any one time 3 to
5 % of drivers are talking on their phone.
It is a fact that cell phones distract drivers in several ways. Instead of focusing on the physical tasks of
driving, drivers are using one or two hands to manipulate the phone. The driver’s visual attention and
auditory focus is divided as well. Finally, cognitively your thoughts while driving are split between the road,
your surroundings and the topics of your phone conversation.
You don’t have to go any further then your own community to realize that tragic things happen to good
people. Through rising awareness and enforcement we hope to minimize the adverse effects of driver
distraction and improve the safety on our highways. We also urge State and other local law enforcement
agencies to assist us in our endeavor.