Free go phone

It was late 1999, and as 29-year-old Patricia searched for answers to the tragedy, she resolved that something needed to be done. Soon, she helped organize Advocates for Cell Phone Safety, a lobbying organization, as a way of honoring Morgan Lee while doing something about distracted drivers.

Wireless phones aren't the only potential interferences for drivers. A wave of new technologies is flooding our automobiles with devices that--though undeniably fun and often helpful--risk demanding too much of the driver's attention. These include dash-mounted navigation systems, onboard computers with Internet connections, DVD players, and exotic sound systems.

"All of this makes me frightened," says Patricia.

Of course, there also are plenty of old-fashioned driver distractions too. Just ask Sergeant Al Della Fave of the New Jersey State Police. "When I was on patrol, I found drivers reading novels, even having full-course meals spread out on the front seat. They had the special sauces right there too," said the officer.

"It amazed me, and it went on almost every day."

In fact, driver distractions have been around since the earliest autos. When windshield wipers were introduced, there was concern that they could have a hypnotic effect and lead to crashes. Early car radios--AM only in those days--also brought worries.

Today, however, it isn't just one device or two, but multiple electronics at a time when North American roads are packed with more vehicles than ever. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told Congress last year that driver distraction "in all of its various forms" is a factor in 20 to 30 percent of automobile crashes in the United States each year.

"Our problem now is to understand new distractions associated with an ever-growing array of in-vehicle electronic devices, referred to as `telematics,' rapidly being developed by the electronics and auto industries," says L. Robert Shelton, NHTSA executive director. "One developer predicts that by 2005 all new cars will have some form of onboard computer accessible to the driver."

To be sure, cell phones, navigation systems, and similar devices provide substantial benefits if used properly. In an accident, cell phones can reduce the response time of emergency crews and save lives. Onboard navigation systems can guide you directly to a destination without stress if you program the device before you begin to drive. Telematics systems guided by satellites will automatically notify emergency authorities if your air bags deploy during a collision.

But researchers continue to worry that humans behind a steering wheel can only handle so much. For example, a 2001 University of Utah study found that drivers using cell phones, both handheld and hands-free, missed twice as many traffic signals as they did when not using phones. Reaction time was also slower.

"Even a momentary distraction can lead to a crash," Shelton warns. "The distraction can be caused by anything that draws the driver's attention away from the road."

Judging by surveys, Americans are aware of the dangers of distractions, especially involving cell phones. And most realize, for example, that an automobile was never meant to be a rolling buffet.

But many drivers want the significant benefits of technology, and businesses want free reign to fill cars with the profitable hardware.

So lawmakers and regulators are in the slow lane when it comes to action concerning driver distraction. Since 1995, more than half of all states have considered restrictions on the use of handheld cell phones by drivers, for instance. But only one state, New York, has outlawed their use while driving. A bill banning phones while driving was a nonstarter in the U.S. Senate last year.

This leaves crusading mother Patricia Pena frustrated and angry. On her Web site she quotes Fran Bents, author of a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation report on cars and phones, who said:

"We killed 120 kids and small-statured women with air bags, and there was a huge government, industry, and societal response. We killed 150 people with Firestone tires, and the response was the same. Both air bags and tires are essential parts of the driving environment. Cell phones are not, so why do we tolerate this problem?"

DRIVE NOW, TALK LATER

Wireless phones can be lifesavers in car emergencies, but safety experts say you should save the social chitchat for when you're parked. Here are guidelines to minimize accidents caused by phones and other distractions.

* When behind the wheel, limit calls to emergencies.

* For nonemergency calls, pull off the road if possible. Or, call when the car is not moving or in no-traffic situations. The "pull over" advice applies at other times too. If you must attend to a fussy child, find a safe spot and park first.

* No social calls while driving. Never start a conversation--either on a cell phone or with a passenger--that might become emotional.

* Switch to a hands-free phone (required in the state of New York). If you use a headset, become thoroughly familiar with it before trying to use it behind the wheel.

* If you must make a call, keep it short and don't take notes. Don't look up phone numbers because this will draw your eyes away from the road for too long.

To learn more about the organization Advocates for Cell Phone Safety, go to its Internet site at www.morganleepena.org.