Distracted DrivingA new nationwide report conducted by USA Today shows that although 39 states plus the District of Columbia currently have laws on the books making some form of distracted driving (such as talking or texting on a cell phone or an outright ban on the use of any handheld device) not many citations are being handed out to drivers.

This seems to fly in the face of logic. After all, public safety experts are unanimous in their claims that distracted driving is now the leading cause of fatal vehicle collisions in the United States. They also seem united in their belief that the rates of distracted driving are increasing. This information has been the driving force behind legislative attempts to mitigate the risks caused by distracted driving by passing laws which are intended to limit a driver’s ability to engage in behavior which could increase the risk of them having a collision.

According to the recent survey, state police agencies report handing out an average of one or two distracted driving citations per day. When you consider the millions of drivers on the roads each and every day, one or two citations hardly seems worth the effort.

Our comedy defensive driving course likes to poke fun at the things which all drivers can relate to. Like the driver who refuses to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. But distracted driving is no laughing matter. With all the legislation currently on the books meant to keep all drivers safe from the risks of distracted driving clearly lawmakers are convinced distracted driving is a very real threat.

When police start handing out more citations based on the laws on the books, perhaps the steadily increasing trend of distracted driving crashes will finally reverse itself.