John Gideon, of Ohio’s Consider Biking writes:
Great news this morning. As reported in the New York Times by Matt Richtel, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced yesterday that sometime in September he is convening a “distracted driving summit” whose purpose is to “give safety experts, academics, elected officials, the police and others an opportunity to discuss legal and policy changes.”
It sounds like something that we all should be heavily involved in. A “Traffic Justice” campaign. Or a “Safe Roads” movement (to pick up where the League of American Wheelmen’s (aka LAB‘s) “Good Roads” movement of the late 1800’s left off).
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood linked the drunken driving and distracted driving issues in his statement announcing the meeting. “People in America got fed up with their children and loved ones being killed by drunk drivers,” he said. “And people in America are very tired of the idea that people can text and drive and use cellphones and drive in some states.”
This is a great development. Maybe we’ve reached a “tipping point” in our efforts to create safer roads for bicycling and walking.
Things may indeed be getting better for cyclists, on matters of policy. Secy. LaHood has said outright that, “Cyclists are important users of transportation systems.” So government agency bosses are coming around to our side. What policymakers want though, cannot happen without budgetary support from legislators and their constituents. So more than ever, it’s important to contact your legislators, to urge their support of bike-friendly infrastructure and programs.
On the distracted driving front, Virginia’s texting ban went into effect July 1, 2009, and the US Senate has already introduced a nationwide texting ban.
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-ffAr_0M34f91E.gif\")