By Bill Howard
June is National Safety Month and one area the National Safety Council is focusing on is safe driving. Specifically, for the week of June 9 to 13, the organization's activities will center on distracted driving.
If you want to find out about safe driving and what kinds of electronic devices may be distracting, there are a wealth of resources online. In fact, you can easily find the relative crash ratings of cars, where it's legal to mount a portable GPS system in which state, and other safety information through these resources.
To speed you on your way, here are some Web sites that can make you a better informed and safer driver.
The Consumer Electronics Association, sponsors of the massive Consumer Electronics Show, provides up-to-date, one-stop shopping information on a state-by-state basis about:
- Safety and legality of handheld cell phones
- Video in front and in back of vehicles
- GPS and other devices that may be dash- or windshield-mounted.
The site also offers a fun Road Test IQ that helps you understand road safety issues. You'll find a quick summary of top driving distractions — many of which predate cell phones, which include:
- Grooming (shaving, applying makeup)
- Eating or drinking
- Reading (maps, printed matter, laptops)
- Smoking
- Reaching for something
- Conversing with passengers
- Interacting with children
- Outside distractions (accidents, road construction)
- Using/dialing a cell phone
- Objects moving in the vehicle.
This non-profit research group conducts its own crash tests to provide additional safety information beyond government crash tests, for instance by crash-testing at slightly higher speeds. The site also covers a wide range of other traffic safety issues, including:
- Youth and senior driving safety
- Motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians
- Crash interactions among small cars, big cars and trucks.
The crash test ratings are also available at Progressive.com.
The NSC promotes improvement programs for a variety of drivers: teens, early adults and seniors, as well as professionals who drive for a living. It has free webinars on various driving safety topics, and there are also useful summaries about:
Check out the three-hour course, Alive at 25, for parents of young drivers.
Despite the sleepy name, this is good resource for tracking the status of highway safety and driving legislation. Did you know, for instance, that New Jersey just became the first state to pass primary offense legislation (police can stop motorists for that offense alone, not in conjunction with another stop) for both handheld cell phone use (without a hands-free device) and texting while driving? The search engine lets you track legislation for one or more states on:
- Aggressive driving
- Photo radar
- Child passenger protection
- Licensing
- Impaired driving
- Motorcycle safety
- Pedestrian and bike safety
- School bus safety
- Seat belts
- Senior drivers, teen and new drivers
- Speed limits
If you know the bill number or the sponsor, you can track that way, too.
The American Association for Retired Persons (you can join at 50) promotes refresher courses, in person and online, that may make older drivers eligible for insurance discounts.
This five-part series on the popular car information site provides an overview, describes risk factors for your drivers, discusses driver education, offers advice on buying cars that will be safe for teens and provides 10 tips on driving safety.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving provides information on the hazards of drunk driving, victim services and advice for teens and parents.
The AMA says the safety of older drivers is a major public health issue, explains why, and offers suggestions and resources for families and physicians, including how to determine if an older parent or loved one should no longer be driving. Teen driving safety issues are also covered within the context of alcohol and drug abuse.
Within Progressive.com, you'll find tips and information on the following topics:
- Cell phone safety
- Drinking and driving
- Safety gear
- Teen driving
- Traveling with pets
- Emergency-kit checklist
- Road rage quiz
- Vehicle shopping
- Crash test videos and ratings
- Weather safety
- Seasonal tips
- State DMVs
Bio: Bill Howard is an experienced automotive writer and the editor of TechnoRide.com, the car technology site produced by Ziff Davis. Previously, he was PC Magazine's executive editor. Howard is also vice president of the International Motor Press Association.