Senate Commerce Committee Ponders Perils Of Texting, Driving

On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on distracted driving. Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller and Sen Frank R. Lautenberg -- Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security -- introduced comprehensive legislation (S. 1938) to address the nationwide problem of distracted driving in both passenger and commercial vehicles.

Transportation Sec Ray LaHood noted three types of distraction: (1) visual ­ taking your eyes off the road; (2) manual ­ taking your hands off the wheel; and (3) cognitive ­ taking your mind off the road. "While all distractions can adversely impact safety," Sec LaHood said, "texting is the most egregious because it involves all three types of distraction." Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said the FCC wants to play an active role in encouraging technologies that can reduce injuries and loss of life due to distracted driving. The Commission is examining whether there are ways in which it can act to create a climate that will allow consumers and industry to have more options in addressing the problem, he said.

Chairman Genachowski said he wants the FCC to set a good example and recently reinforced to agency employees the importance of complying with President Obama's recent executive order that banned the use of federal devices to text while driving. The order also prohibited the use of personal devices while driving government vehicles.