Software Blocks Calls While Driving

States send updates, but prohibit drivers from reading them

(NEWSER) - Safety experts complain that states are undermining their own no-texting-while-driving laws by offering motorists constant Twitter updates on traffic conditions, the AP reports. At least 22 states with laws that essentially ban drivers from using smartphones and similar devices behind the wheel provide such information, and, in some cases, readily pass on information texted in by drivers. More»

(NEWSER) - In 2003 a federal agency compiled hundreds of pages of research on the dangers of using cell phones while driving, but suppressed the findings because of pressure from Congress. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a part of the Transportation Department, also planned a long-term study of the risks of cell phone use but never undertook it. Two consumer advocacy groups obtained the findings, which are published today by the New York Times. More»

Looking forward to an aging driver, tech would compensate for poor eyesight

(NEWSER) - America’s driving population is aging, and GM aims to do something to help older motorists: develop a high-tech windshield that compensates for declining eyesight, the AP reports. The system, now in the research phase, uses lasers and infrared sensors to identify hazards in the road—or perhaps the edge of the road itself in bad weather—and projects them onto the windshield. More»

Why can't drivers use hand-free sets?

(NEWSER) - The NTSB's proposal for a nationwide ban on the use of cell phones while driving, even of the hands-free variety, "is impractical, it's overkill, and it doesn't make sense," writes Sascha Segan at PC Magazine . Authorities can and should come down hard on anyone caught texting while driving or even just talking on a hand-held device while behind the wheel, he writes. But banning "absolutely hands-free conversations" via Bluetooth headsets or the like is where things get muddy. More»

2010 least deadly year on American roads since 1949

(NEWSER) - Some 32,788 people died on American roads in 2010, the smallest number since Harry Truman was in the White House—and there were a lot fewer people on the roads back then. Last year saw the fewest traffic accident deaths since 1949, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures released today. Traffic deaths have dropped an amazing 25% in just five years, reports the New York Times . More»