NSC, Nationwide Insurance Sponsor Distracted Driving Symposium
The National Safety Council and Nationwide Insurance will sponsor an International Symposium on Distracted Driving, Oct. 14-15 in Arlington, Va. The symposium will convene leaders in transportation and safety, the auto industry, business, education, and government and social sectors to confront an urgent and escalating safety issue: driving while distracted, which accounts for a significant portion of motor vehicle-related injuries and deaths.
Motor vehicle collisions continue to be the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States, according to NSC, which reports there were 44,700 motor-vehicle-related fatalities and another 2.4 million disabling injuries in 2006.
"Distracted driving contributes to hundreds of thousands of injuries and deaths each year," said Janet Froetscher, NSC president and CEO. "People who drive while talking on a cell phone, for instance, are four times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers who aren't on cell phones. This symposium will accelerate critical conversations about how we can most effectively combat distracted driving as a national issue, drawing from a variety of perspectives to save lives."
The International Symposium on Distracted Driving will aim to:
- Document the science of distracted driving.
- Document possible solutions to the problem in four key areas that include public education, business policy, legislation and law, and technology.
- Recommend measures across all sectors of our society to help prevent injuries and deaths caused by distracted driving.
"It is high time to focus public attention on this serious and growing national problem," said Bill Windsor, associate vice president of safety for Nationwide. "The symposium will yield information that may benefit everyone who drives. Individuals, legislators, community leaders, law enforcement officials, and others involved in traffic safety will also benefit, from understanding how they might take action in their communities."
To participate in the International Symposium on Distracted Driving, advance registration is required; the $160 fee includes two continental breakfasts, lunch and an evening reception on Oct. 14. Details are available at NSC's Web site, www.nsc.org/events/conferences/distractedsymp.aspx or by calling NSC's Transportation Safety Group at 630-775-2334.