NTSB Sets Distraction Countermeasures Forum
The March 27 forum in Washington, D.C., will delve into distracted driving laws, enforcement strategies, education, and technologies to prevent distractions.
Following closely on new NHTSA guidance that lists specific in-vehicle distracting technologies that the DOT agency considers unsafe, the National Transportation Safety Board has scheduled a March 27 forum to discuss distracted driving countermeasures.
NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Herman will chair of the forum, and all five of the NTSB board members will serve as members of a board of inquiry. Expert panelists will include safety advocacy groups, vehicle manufacturers, law enforcement, government, and the research community. The forum will take place at the NTSB Conference Center and will be streamed as a live webcast that will then be available in the agency's archive for three months.
"Distracted driving is a serious safety risk on our highways as evidenced by both accident data and laboratory research," NTSB's announcement states. "The purpose of this one-day forum is to examine countermeasures that can mitigate distracted driving behaviors. Forum panels will consider the findings of distracted driver research and will promote ongoing and future efforts to promote attentive driving and eliminate distracted driving accidents. Specific countermeasures to be addressed include distracted driving laws and enforcement, changing attitudes and behaviors through education and outreach, and technology and design countermeasures."