June 15, 2010—The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) release_notesd a new report Tuesday showing that states are aggressively addressing causes and finding solutions for distracted driving.

All U.S. state highway safety agencies, along with Guam, American Samoa and the District of Columbia, participated in the “Curbing Distracted Driving: 2010 Survey of State Safety Programs,” which found that states were enacting stronger laws, creating new education programs, using social media outlets as a marketing tool, increasing data collection and more, to decrease distractions and accidents as a result of those distractions.

The banning of text messaging while operating a motor vehicle is one measure that is being passed rapidly. Twenty-eight states, Guam and D.C., according to a GHSA press release, have all banned this practice since 2007, indicating a growing trend.

The survey’s key findings are:
• Distracted driving is a priority issue for state highway safety organizations;
• States have improved data collection;
• States are ensuring that new drivers are educated about distractions, as well as emphasizing the importance of public education;
• States have been passing a variety of distracted driving laws;
• Private and public partnerships are rising;
• States are using new technology such as social networking sites.

The survey can be viewed and printed from the GHSA website at ghsa.org.