Group Hid Study On Cellphone’s Driving Distractions
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concealed the results of a study focused on determining the dangers of cellphone use while driving seven years ago due to fears of upsetting members of Congress, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Conducted in 2002, the study monitored the use of cellphones by US drivers. Researchers noted that 955 people died in 240,000 driving accidents that involved talking or texting.
Dr. Jeffrey Runge, former head of the NHTSA, told the Times that the he was instructed to keep the study’s findings from being released due to political pressure from Congress, which had warned the agency not to use research to lobby states.
The study’s results were released after consumer groups The Center for Auto Safety and Public Citizen filed requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
Also on file was a letter drafted to then Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, which noted that laws requiring the use of hands-free devices while driving might not be enough to alleviate the risks.
In July 2003, researchers penned a memo stating, “we nevertheless have concluded that the use of cellphones while driving has contributed to an increasing number of crashes, injuries and fatalities.”
“We therefore recommend that the drivers not use wireless communication devices, including text messaging systems, when driving, except in an emergency.”
"I really wanted to send a letter to governors telling them not to give a pass to hands-free laws," Runge told the Times.
The report found that about 25 percent of all reported traffic crashes are caused by distracted driving, meanwhile the use of cellphones while driving was on the rise when the report was issued.
“States passed laws and took action to restrict only handheld cell phone use assuming hands-free cell phones use was safe. The studies NHTSA concealed showed that all cell phone use is as hazardous as drinking and driving,” Clarence Ditlow, director of the Center for Auto Safety, said in a written statement.
Both the Center for Auto Safety and the Public Citizen have posted copies of the report on their Web sites on Tuesday.
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