News Regarding the Center
Stop text messaging, drivers urged
USA Today
June 12, 2007
In a 2006 joint report issued with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the institute found 78% of crashes involved a driver
distracted within three seconds before an accident. Talking on or dialing a cellphone accounted for 6% of crashes or near-misses. . . .
It's simply human nature to know something is dangerous but to believe one can handle it better than others, said James Katz, director of the Center for Mobile Communication at Rutgers University.
Car manufacturers have succeeded, too well, in making cars feel safe and comfortable, Katz said. People aren't concerned about doing small tasks, creating an opening for texting.
"We'll probably look back some day and say this was the good old days," Katz said. "There are more dangerous distractions to come -- watching TV on your cellphone. Then, in the... future, we'll have cars that drive themselves so we can safely text to our heart's content."
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