== Bike-Walk Alliance of NH ==

Distracted Drivers, our biggest risk on the road

Think you can talk or text and drive safely at the same time? Think again!

February 2012 update:

Distracted driving awareness efforts continue with planning between BWA-NH, the Dartmouth Hospital Injury Prevention Center, and the Safety & Health Council of Northern New England. The program started last April when two distracted driving simulators were purchased via the NH Highway Safety Agency then loaned to various schools and driver education programs by the Dartmouth IPC. The feedback from users was so positive that two more simulators are expected to be purchased for IPC use this spring. Meanwhile, BWA-NH now owns a simulator which will be used for demos and training. The NH Department of Motor Vehicles has expressed an interest in having BWA-NH conduct demos at the annual Drivers Education Instructor's Conference in March. The simulators fit nicely into the National Safety Council driver training program. Additional public displays and demos are being planned as we do what we can to increase awareness proving that no one can safely drive and be playing with their electronic gadgets at the same time. Distracted drivers are one of the most serious hazards to bicyclists and pedestrians. Crashes are reported almost every week here in northern New England. Minor fines associated with anti-texting laws are usually only issued after a crash resulting in a serious injury or fatality. We need drivers to "hang up and drive" before the crash.

Did you know a driver just talking on a cell phone (hand-held or hands-free) is twice as impaired as someone legally drunk at the 0.8 level? And texting while driving equals four times the impairment of a drunk driver? Let's do what we can to stop the crashes caused by distracted driving before they happen, not just analyze cell phone records after a crash when someone, usually a bicyclist or pedestrian, is seriously injured or killed.

For more info about the Distracted Driver Simulator from Virtual Driver Interactive, please contact Dave Topham at the BWA-NH office, dave@bwanh.org, 603.898.9926. For an on-line overview of the V-Touch model simulator and the "One Simple Decision" software, please visit http://www.driverinteractive.com/osdtrailer.shtml .

January 2012 update:

A new Distracted Driver Simulator is now owned by BWA-NH. This touch-screen unit will be used for training in our Concord office and demonstrated around northern New England. There has been much discussion about the proposed ban of all cell phone use while driving while the legislation and enforcement at the state and local level is initially difficult to impossible. Meanwhile, through drivers education classes, public demos, media coverage, and support by the high schools, we hope to increase the awareness factor of using phones when driving. "Distractions" have always been a problem when driving, but the level of distraction when using a phone is much higher and drastically more dangerous for vulnerable road users like bicyclists, pedestrians, highway workers, police, service vehicle operators, EMTs, et al. A driver can usually take his eyes and attention off the road for a few seconds to do something simple like change a radio station or glance at a GPS unit. Try that for 10 seconds (or more) while concentrating on a text message and see what happens. Just being engrossed in a phone call, hand-held or hands-free, can demand so much attention that the driver will not see what is immediately in front of him. Most people agree with these statements and feel others should not do it, but "they are better than most" and can multi-task so effectively the "hang-up and drive" statement does not apply to them. Those are the people we wish to see "driving" our new simulator for 20 minutes. A crash is just the start of a long and sad story for the driver, not to mention the innocent person who was hit.

For more info about the Distracted Driver Simulator from Virtual Driver Interactive, please contact Dave Topham at the BWA-NH office, dave@bwanh.org, 603.898.9926. For an on-line overview of the VT-Touch model simulator, the "One Simple Decision" software, and other hardware and software options from VDI, please visit http://www.driverinteractive.com/osdtrailer.shtml

The new Virtual Driver Interactive "VT Touch" simulator
with the "One Simple Decision" interactive software
provides a realistic experience.

December 2011 update:

The two Distracted Driver Simulators obtained by the NH Highway Safety Association in April and as supported by the Injury Prevention Center at Dartmouth and BWA-NH may soon have some "company." NH-HSA is reportedly planning to purchase two more units based on the excellent feedback of using the first two for six months. In addition, BWA-NH plans to obtain one with touch screen features for demos, training sessions, and promoting wider use of the simulators. Several driver education schools, bike advocacy groups, and NH-DMV have already expressed an interest. The intent is to increase awareness and stop texting, cell phone use, and impaired driving before a crash occurs. Did you know a driver just talking on a cell phone (hand-held or hands-free) is twice as impaired as someone legally drunk at the 0.8 level? And texting while driving equals four times the impairment of a drunk driver? Let's do what we can to stop the crashes caused by distracted driving, not just analyze cell phone records after a crash when someone, usually a bicyclist or pedestrian, is seriously injured or killed.

The two computerized Distracted Driving Simulators as unveiled at the NH Highway Safety Conference in April have been used in several school districts with excellent reports. The Timberlane Regional High School in Plaistow was the first in the state to use the simulators with about 200 students taking two or more tests. Distracted driving induced by cell phone use (talking or texting) and driving under the influence were simulated with student comments including "I got in an accident pretty quick. I rear-ended a car and lost my license." "I hit a deer. Then they did a drunk test, put me in a police car and took me to jail." This was not a game being played by the students. One commented how he lost his brother to drunk driving.

Jim Esdon of the Injury Prevention Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center is the program manager. The units were slated for use in Sanborn and Seabrook before the end of the school year. As of June 1, over 500 students have been tested. BWA-NH will be involved in the logged results of the tests recorded by the two simulators and help maintain the units as more and more schools and organization use the machine which proves that distracted driving leads to crashes - and that no one is immune from being distracted. For more information, please contact BWA-NH at info@bwanh.org.

September 2011 update:

When not in use, the two Distracted Driver Simulators are stored at the Injury Prevention Center in Lebanon or the Safety & Health Council office in Concord where BWA-NH rents office space. A close inspection of the units by BWA-NH confirmed all components are of the highest quality and should be serviceable for years. When in use, the units are not to be connected to the Internet so related problems are avoided. Statistics from the various session surveys can be exported to a flash drive for reports and analysis on other computers. The main application program called "One Simple Decision" covers both distracted driving caused by cell phone use and texting plus impaired driving caused by alcohol or drugs. The basic computers run the Windows XP Pro op system on 32 GB solid state drives for the best reliability under adverse conditions. The Logitech steering wheel and pedal assemblies are "first class" and provide tactile feedback to the user. Three heavy-duty padded shipping containers hold a complete simulator. Close-up views of the components follow.

A newer model simulator from Virtual Driver Interactive (VDI) utilizes a touch screen with the computer built into the monitor. This simplifies the cabling and requires two boxes instead of three for transportation and storage. The additional cost for the touch screen model is about $600.00.

Approximately 30 minutes should be allowed for one person to become familiar with the simulator operation then take both the distracted and impaired driving tests. A brief eight question survey captures each user's thoughts of the simulated driving and what they learned from taking the tests. In an effort to show more people how the simulator works or to have a group observe the actions and consequences of distracted and impaired driving without spending about 30 minutes "at the wheel" per person, a second port on the computer allows the video to be projected on a large screen for all to view. Feedback to date is very positive as the scenarios are realistic and compelling. The "Hang up and Drive" slogan has a lot more meaning once a person has experienced "driving" the simulator.

Information on the VDI simulators and the "One Simple Decision" software will be available at the NE Bike-Walk Summit in Providence, RI on October 7, 2011. Please visit the Virtual Driver Interactive web site or contact BWA-NH at 603.898.9926 or email info@bwanh.org for additional information about the units. To schedule an operator training session and to borrow the NH units for a class or presentation, contact Jim Esdon at the Injury Prevention Center, 603.653.1137 or email James.E.Esdon@Dartmouth.edu.

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VDI Distracted Driver Simulator set up at BWA-NH Concord office for testing and training.

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VDI Distracted Driver Simulator steering wheel, pedals, and transport cases.

June 2011 update:

The two new "Distracted Driving Simulators" (DDS) were first used at the Timberlane High School in Plaistow NH as part of the drivers education program. Approximately 200 students took two or more tests. Distracted driving induced by cell phone use (talking or texting) and driving under the influence were simulated with student commenting "I got in an accident pretty quick. I rear-ended a car and lost my license." "I hit a deer. Then they did a drunk test, put me in a police car and took me to jail." This was not a game being played by the students. One commented how he lost his brother to drunk driving.

Jim Esdon of the Injury Prevention Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center is the program manager. The units were slated for use in Sanborn and Seabrook before the end of the school year. As of June 1, over 500 students have been tested. BWA-NH will be involved in the logged results of the tests recorded by the two simulators and help maintain the units as more and more schools and organizations use the machines which prove that distracted driving leads to crashes - and that no one is immune from being distracted. For more information, please contact BWA-NH at 603.898.9926 or info@bwanh.org. Feedback to date from both students and teachers has been excellent.

BWA-NH is supporting the use and maintenance of the simulators by donating two uninterruptable power supplies (UPS units) and performing file maintenance, analyzing stored reports, and performing system-level backups. This work is being done in the BWA-NH Concord office as rented from the Safety & Health Council of Northern NE where the simulators are sometimes stored between being used in the field. A lot more use of the portable units is planned for this summer while public schools are closed.

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Jim Esdon, Injury Prevention Center Program Manager at Dartmouth, shown
"driving" the simulator and boxing the components for transit during
the "Train the Trainers" session in Lebanon, NH on May 9, 2011.

May 2011 update:

Two new "Distracted Driving Simulators" (DDS) were unveiled at the NH Traffic Safety Conference in Meredith on April 26. Jim Esdon of the Injury Prevention Center at Dartmouth demonstrated the units and explained the plans for "training the trainers" and the actual use of the units.

The computerized and portable devices will be taken into schools and public places to allow drivers of all ages to learn for themselves that they are really not good at driving safely when playing with their cell phone. The simulators run a program called "One Simple Decision" - and it really gets the point across: simply do not talk or text when driving. Multitasking may sound like a good idea and many people feel they do it very well. Unfortunately, the statistic and deaths prove otherwise.

On May 9, a core group of safety professionals were trained on the DDS by Jim Esdon of the Injury Prevention Center in Lebanon on the set-up, use, and database logging so they can train others who will be able to borrow the units at no charge for up to a week at a time. When not in use, one unit will be stored in Lebanon at the IPC office, then second stored in Concord at the Safety and Health Council of Northern New England office where BWA-NH rents space and services. The goal is to greatly increase the awareness of NH drivers of distracted driving so they will change their habits before causing a serious crash. Bicyclists and pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users with distracted drivers being a severe risk which is increasing every year for the past decade or more. The DDS units are but one way we hope to address this serious issue.

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Distracted Driving Simulator on display at NH Traffic Safety Conference,
Meredith NH, April 26, 2011

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Jim Esdon of the Injury Prevention Center at Dartmouth assembling a portable
Distracted Driving Simulator, April 26, 2011

April 2011 update:

April is the National Distracted Driver Awareness month. A timely introduction of two Distracted Driver Simulators for use in NH was made by the NH Highway Safety Agency and the Injury Prevention Center at the Highway Safety Conference in Meredith on April 26. These portable units will be used throughout the state in public places and in classroom to convince cell phone users ("texters" in particular) that they cannot drive safely and play with their gadgets at the same time.

August 2010 update:

Focus on Distracted Driving continues with funding expected from the NH Highway Safety Agency to purchase two portable computerized simulators which should help increase public awareness of this deadly action. The Injury Prevention unit at Dartmouth is working with BWA-NH to obtain and use the simulators. When not in use, one will be stored in Hanover and the second at the BWA-NH Office (SHC-NNE suite) in Concord for easy access. Funding is expected in early 2011.

May 2010 update:

BWA-NH is working with the Dartmouth Injury Prevention Center and the NH Highway Safety Agency to investigate the purchase of one or more distracted driving simulators which would be shared by multiple agencies and organizations. If the proposed simulator from Virtual Driver Interactive is deemed practical, various sources of funding would be sought to purchase the units. At about $10,000 each, we need to know what we would be buying and how they would be used in NH to help reduce distracted driving.

April 2010 update:

Distracted driving continues to make headline news around the country. The US House of Representatives passed a resolution on March 23 declaring April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Whether caused by talking or texting on cell phones or other distractions within the car when driving, the resulting crashes are taking a tremendous toll on many people with the most vulnerable road users, bicyclists and pedestrians, always faring the worst.

BWA-NH is investigating the use of a Distracted Driving Simulator which might just make a positive difference here in NH. This product focuses on behaviors and their consequences versus typical driver training simulators. Several organizations are checking out this product from Virtual Driver Interactive which could be used by various groups in different venues. Funding from multiple sources is also being explored. We should know within a few weeks if this idea will gain traction here in NH.

For more information on actions being taken to combat distracted driving, please visit the LAB web site.

March 2010 update:

As if in response to an idea expressed by BWA-NH last month, a new driving simulator is now available to highlight the dangers of distracted driving behaviors and their consequences. Either portable or semi-stationary units can run three different programs depicting "real world" conditions encountered when driving. Two programs focus on skills for new or professional drivers. These have been available for some years and are used in driver training classes and for companies like UPS. The new "One Simple Decision" program of interest to BWA-NH aims at behaviors leading to distracted driving. Taking this unit to the public in places like a shopping mall and promoting it as a "fun experience" could attract more people than offering it strictly as a training device in a classroom setting. BWA-NH is checking into funding for the simulator and for potential use by various agencies and services in NH. For an overview of this product, visit the web site www.driverinteractive.com.

Meanwhile, distracted driving continues to make headlines and even the comics. Here is one which appeared on March 20, 2010:

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"Close to Home" by John McPherson

You Tube videos and articles on distracted driving:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration video (1m 46s)

A short video shows even a bicyclist in motion while using a cell phone (47s)

Part One, the "big picture" (1m 49s)

Part Two, actual driving test (3m 10s)

UK video shows simulated crash caused by distracted driving. (4m 45s)
Note: This video runs about five minutes and it is not pretty!

Summary of the problem in the United States (6m 2s)

National Safety Council "white paper" on distracted driving

February 2010 update:

On October 15, a motorist hit and nearly killed Suzanne Kibler-Hacker, a highly experienced commuter cyclist on her way to work. The Concord Police Department closed the investigation in December but details have not been made public. An update appeared in the Concord Monitor on January 8, 2010.

One major question currently remains open: Was the motorist who hit Suzanne using a cell phone at time of the crash? This question was openly asked in the Concord Monitor article of October 21. If the motorist were using a cell phone in any manner (hand-held voice, Bluetooth voice, or texting) the known distraction factor would certainly be a contributing factor to the crash. Multiple nationwide studies have proven that using a cell phone while driving effectively impairs the driver to a level greater than the legal limit for a DWI conviction. That applies to simple voice calls while, for most users, texting while driving provokes a higher level of distraction thus an even greater risk to other road users, bicyclists and pedestrians in particular. Even the comic strips are getting into the action. Check out this Broom Hilda comic of January 31, 2010:

A new national organization called FocusDriven highlights many facts, figures, and details about crashes caused by distracted drivers. The US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood supports the organization and their web site www.focusdriven.org. The National Safety Council is also behind this effort to raise awareness and to support victims. Info about FocusDriven was posted by Boston's WCVB Channel 5 on January 12; the article with reader comments is available here.

Locally, we cannot do anything to make Susanne's injuries less severe or promote a faster recovery for her, but let's not have another serious crash before learning if the "distracted driver syndrome" has been investigated and what can be done to prevent future crashes caused by this issue.

Currently the new NH law banning texting while driving is viewed as a joke by many NH residents, drivers in many states, and it even made Associated Press headlines on January 2, 2010. One resident of Warner, NH stated she has no intention to stop texting while driving, despite the $100 fine she could receive. Her comment: "I'd better start saving my money."

Unfortunately, so many people believe they can multi-task so efficiently that driving a car is nothing more than a "background task" which does not require their attention 100% of the time. Tests in controlled environments such as using driving simulators with distractions like cell phone calls and texting have proven otherwise, again and again. The human brain is much like a computer in that it can seemingly process multiple tasks at the same time when actually each task is only being given a percentage of the total brain/computer power available. If, for example, 10% of a motorist's "brain power" is diverted to a cell phone call or texting when a bicyclist appears within potential crash distance, the cyclist does not stand a chance. Did this happen in Susanne's case? I don't know, but it did happen in Hampstead, NH in April 2004. GSW member Bob Weaver was nearly killed when, on a club ride, he was hit from the rear by a teenager on a straight country road in broad daylight. Upon stopping after the crash and exiting her car, the teenager's first words were (as heard by multiple GSW members on that ride), "But I wasn't even on my cell phone!" Her next action was not to call "911" but to call Mommy to say "I think I am in trouble." The investigation by local police did not take any of this into consideration or the testimony of an EMT who just happened to be driving in the opposite direction at the time and saw the crash take place. It was only after the then-existent NH Highway Patrol became involved that the teenager was found guilty of causing the crash, lost her license for months, and had to pay some stiff fines -- never mind what the insurance companies had to pay.

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Bob Weaver's bike after being rear-ended by a cell-phone user

Bottom line, "distracted drivers" seem to be the biggest hazard bicyclists and motorists encounter on the roads these days. What can we do to address this issue? Personally, I'd like to see some NH people, namely those who believe they can multi-task so efficiently that the texting-while-driving ban does not apply to them, be given public tests in a driving simulator alternately using and not using a cell phone, voice and/or texting. If given some publicity via the media, maybe the reasons behind the nearly unenforceable law would make sense to the present non-believers. None of us want to be "taken out" by a distracted driver. There are certainly many ways to be distracted other than cell phone calls and texting but that appears to be a leading factor these days.

So, what can we as the NH bicycling community do about the current situation? I'm open for suggestions as are many people in the law enforcement and safety professions, but let's not wait until another cyclist is severely injured or killed before taking action. You could be the next victim.

Dave Topham
BWA-NH/GSW Board Member & Co-Founder
LAB Certified Cycling Instructor #39

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