Unless you have been living under a rock lately the NHTSA is on a quest to make the roads a safer place. Increasing crashworthiness of our vehicles and limiting distractions while driving are coming under scrutiny. It all sounds great on the surface, increase the survivability and limiting the causes all sound like worthy goals.
But if you look at the NHTSA own studies the priorities aren't what they seem to be. All you have to do is look at the NHTSA website and you will be convinced the number one cause for accidents by distracted driving would be teens texting and driving and cell phone communication. However if you wind back the clock a few years you will find that a study commissioned by the NHTSA in 2009 discovered 80% of distracted driving accidents aren't caused from these distractions.
The majority of accidents are actually caused by eating and driving.
Let me repeat that, in case you missed it: 80% of all traffic accidents are caused by drivers who are busy cramming food into their pie-hole instead of focusing on the road. This same study determined coffee to be the #1 cause of food-related crashes, with soup, tacos, chili dogs, and hamburgers rounding out the top five. That means Starbucks, Burger King are killing far more people on the road than cell phones.
Given the NHSTA own findings, why aren't they increasing their big brother scope and limit the take out window? Are they simply taking the easiest road possible and placing the burden on the automakers and the consumer who be forced will pay for high technology alternatives?
Shouldn't they change the focus to Starbucks and Burger King? give us your thoughts.
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