April 23, 2025 • 10 mins
From the radio being turned up so loud, to calling for takeout, eating behind the wheel or screaming at the kids in the backseat... all these distractions happen way too often, and these types of distractions can kill innocent people. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. My guest is the director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Jane Terry, detailing what the federal government does to educate and discourage this dangerous practice.
NHTSA's website for Distracted Driving information
NHTSA's website for Distracted Driving information
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This week on iHeart Sinsey.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Distraction behind the wheel has been around for as long
as we've had cars.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Distracted driving is a topic today. It's more than just
about your cell phone. It's anything that takes your eyes
off the road, from adjusting the radio to reaching for
items in the vehicle, eating, drinking, even changing shoes while driving.
I've seen it done. Since Ohio strengthened the law two
years ago about holding your cell phone behind the wheel,
the number of distracted driving accidents has dropped eight percent.
(00:27):
There are fewer injuries, and fatalities are down four percent. Still,
distracted driving remains a significant concern, and April is Distracted
Driving Awareness Month. Today, my guest is from the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration Director Jane Terry.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
And later we know the more cases out there. The
FBI has determined that this is a very, if not
the most underreported type of crime out there people who
don't necessarily know what a hate crime is.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a field office in
Cincinnati whose agents work to protect the American people and
uphold the constitution of the United States. Later in the show,
my guest is special Asian Eric Field, who heads up
the Civil Rights Division, investigating hate crimes and civil rights violations.
Now on iHeart Sinsey with Sandy Collins. April is Distracted
(01:15):
Driving Awareness Month, and my guest today is Jane Terry
with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Washington. She's
the director of the Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection. Jane,
thanks for being with us here today. Let's start with
what your department is responsible for.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
A great question.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So impaired driving is I think probably what most people
would think, alcohol impaired driving, Also a changing laws around cannabis.
We also look at drug impaired driving, not just cannabis,
but other drugs as well, including illegal drug use, and
also looking at the impact of things like over the
(01:55):
counter medications that can impact your driving. You think about
some cold medications that may make people tired, and you
want people fully alert and awake when they're behind the wheel.
Then also work on occupant protection, which is just a
fancy way to say seat belts, keeping people safe in
the vehicle by making sure that they buckle up, including
(02:18):
our youngest children.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Youngest occupants.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
So thinking about even car seats, making sure you got
the right car seat fit, for infants, as they grow
to toddlers, as they grow to children. You know, I
think a lot of people don't necessarily appreciate that how
long children should really stay in a car seat because
of how the seat belt fits, and if you are
(02:41):
in a crash, you want to make sure that seat
belt is at the right point in a person's body.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
And so for children, that means they need to be elevated.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
So, for example, I've got a ten year old who's
still in a car seat. And distracted driving, which we're
talking about today, is also pair of what we cover.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Well, you know, we've thought about distracted driving with just
basically texting. But then when I was looking over some
notes here, I was realized, you know, people are playing game.
It's like it's like car makers are trying to make
our cars into living rooms. Right, We've got movies, We've
got people eating, we got women putting their mascara on.
How do you keep track of that if it is
(03:22):
not like texting, or there is not physical evidence of
Is it the witnesses, is it the driver that says, oh,
I was turning down my radio and got distracted or something.
How do you track that?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Actually distraction behind the wheel has been around for as
long as we've had cars. I mean, to your point,
people may choose to eat or drinks, the radio talk
to passengers, which can be distracting, especially if you're looking
over your shoulder.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
We talked about as kids, right, telling your kids to
behave or people in the backseat engaging with them. It's
gotten more acute with the cell phone and more.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Ubiquitous.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I would say now that we've got cell phones, the
safest way for people to drive is going to be
fully focused on the drive. And for cell phones, they're
wonderful technology devices, and every cell phone I've had at
least has the opportunity for the owner to turn on
a feature they will automatically reply if they're behind the
(04:31):
wheel and get a text or a phone call saying I'm.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Driving right now.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
I will follow up with you later, and so you
don't get that notification that something came through until you're
actually stopped moving.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
So in some ways.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Technology can really help us out, especially with the cell
phone distraction, to prevent that distraction from happening in the
first place, I think I will say I've read studies
that when people hear that ding or that.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Alert from the phone.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
There is a reaction that they want to check and
see what came in. And if that's the case for people,
they really have to think about what they're doing.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Do they have the time?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
They are they at home watching TV where it doesn't
matter if they're checking their phone at the same time.
I would say, when you're behind the wheel of a
four thousand pound vehicle, that's not the best time to
be paying attention to what may be coming through on
the cell phone.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
All right, and put it away if you're so inclined.
I found another distraction is the smart watch because I
have my watch attached to my phone, so I could
put my phone away, But when the phone rings or
when the phone get a text, I can immediately do
you know, look look at the watch and I think, oh,
you know that before this phone call, I didn't even
(05:56):
think about that as being a distraction. If you just
join us, I'm Sandy Collins, and my guest today here
on iHeart Sindsey is Jane Terry. She's the director of
the Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection for the
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Because April is National Distracted
Driving Awareness Month, so we were looking at the numbers
(06:17):
here earlier. The last statistics I think you guys have
that are completed from twenty twenty three and over thirty
two hundred people who died in distracted driving crashes. How
do you track? How's it tracking now? Do you think
it's going up or down? Is it these laws better?
Like in Ohio we passed the law that said you
(06:41):
can't even hold the phone, so you can do it
hands free. I always have it on the dashboard, but
you're not allowed to have the phone in your hand.
How are the states trending now with fatalities and distracted
driving accidents?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Historically the distracted related fatalities have been between three and
four thousand.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
We know though that's an undercount.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
When you get to the scene of a fatal crash
as an investigator, you may not be able to figure
out if distraction played a role. NITSA did a study
a few years ago and actually attributed distraction as a
cause in fatal crashes to about thirty percent of those
fatal crashes, which means and equates to about ten or
(07:28):
eleven thousand people each year dying as a result of
distracted driving. Laws definitely help and conversations like this are
important because not only is it passing the law, but
then educating people about the law. And obviously you're right
there on the border with Kentucky. Kentucky's gone a little
(07:49):
bit further too, and that they've got a law on
the books for those under eighteen that you can't use
a phone at all when you're behind the wheel of
a vehicle, which is important because we know crash rates
for young drivers are are very very high, and they
they especially need to be completely focused on the task
(08:12):
of driving when they're when they're behind the wheel.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I read one of your statistics it said texting takes
you know, five seconds off the road, and if you're
going fifty five miles an hour, I think it said
you travel the length of a football field in that
amount of time. That's you're like, oh my god, that
so you might as well just close your eyes, right,
I mean, that's that's the equivalent. And we've and we've
(08:36):
been seeing it.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
More and more.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Any other thoughts on ways to remind ourselves.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Well, this is a great conversation to have and share
with with your listeners, so appreciate your taking the time
for this. Like I said, technology is part of the problem,
but it can be part of the solution. And I
would encourage your listeners to look at what features are
available on their phones to silence notifications when they are
(09:02):
moving in a vehicle. It doesn't take much time to
implement it, and it can be really actually save a life.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Another opportunity, too, is for employers.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
In your area to think about what their safe driving
policies are. You think about, especially during the daytime, how
many people are on the road for their work, and
employers thinking about policies like don't be on the phone,
making sure you're buckling your seatbelt, not driving impaired, that
you're following the speed limits. Those can really make changes
(09:37):
in the way people behave behind the wheel too.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
That's really interesting. I had not thought of it because
our salesforces is out on the road quite often, and
I don't even know if our company has any sort
of a company policy towards business driving. But you know,
you see the guys that have their files stacked up
in their passenger seat, and they have their little mobile office,
and so I'm sure it's very tempting to keep that
(10:03):
phone on while you're while you're tooling them out. But
it's not a good idea. Jane Terry, thank you so
much for being with us here on iHeart Cincy. And
where can folks get more information about NITZA and what
you're doing for the distracted drivers.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Our website is a NITZA dot gov. That's n h
ts A dot gov and you can definitely find more
information there.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
All right, Jane, thanks again, I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Oh, thank you so much. And stay safe out there.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Director Jane Terry, the director of the Office of Impaired
Driving and Occupant Protection from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Coming up, the.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Color of laws, the authority they are given to them
by the government to arrest, to uphold the law, and
if they abuse that position is when there's an excessive
force
This week on iHeart Sinsey.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Distraction behind the wheel has been around for as long
as we've had cars.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Distracted driving is a topic today. It's more than just
about your cell phone. It's anything that takes your eyes
off the road, from adjusting the radio to reaching for
items in the vehicle, eating, drinking, even changing shoes while driving.
I've seen it done. Since Ohio strengthened the law two
years ago about holding your cell phone behind the wheel,
the number of distracted driving accidents has dropped eight percent.
(00:27):
There are fewer injuries, and fatalities are down four percent. Still,
distracted driving remains a significant concern, and April is Distracted
Driving Awareness Month. Today, my guest is from the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration Director Jane Terry.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
And later we know the more cases out there. The
FBI has determined that this is a very, if not
the most underreported type of crime out there people who
don't necessarily know what a hate crime is.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a field office in
Cincinnati whose agents work to protect the American people and
uphold the constitution of the United States. Later in the show,
my guest is special Asian Eric Field, who heads up
the Civil Rights Division, investigating hate crimes and civil rights violations.
Now on iHeart Sinsey with Sandy Collins. April is Distracted
(01:15):
Driving Awareness Month, and my guest today is Jane Terry
with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Washington. She's
the director of the Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection. Jane,
thanks for being with us here today. Let's start with
what your department is responsible for.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
A great question.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So impaired driving is I think probably what most people
would think, alcohol impaired driving, Also a changing laws around cannabis.
We also look at drug impaired driving, not just cannabis,
but other drugs as well, including illegal drug use, and
also looking at the impact of things like over the
(01:55):
counter medications that can impact your driving. You think about
some cold medications that may make people tired, and you
want people fully alert and awake when they're behind the wheel.
Then also work on occupant protection, which is just a
fancy way to say seat belts, keeping people safe in
the vehicle by making sure that they buckle up, including
(02:18):
our youngest children.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Youngest occupants.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
So thinking about even car seats, making sure you got
the right car seat fit, for infants, as they grow
to toddlers, as they grow to children. You know, I
think a lot of people don't necessarily appreciate that how
long children should really stay in a car seat because
of how the seat belt fits, and if you are
(02:41):
in a crash, you want to make sure that seat
belt is at the right point in a person's body.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
And so for children, that means they need to be elevated.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
So, for example, I've got a ten year old who's
still in a car seat. And distracted driving, which we're
talking about today, is also pair of what we cover.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Well, you know, we've thought about distracted driving with just
basically texting. But then when I was looking over some
notes here, I was realized, you know, people are playing game.
It's like it's like car makers are trying to make
our cars into living rooms. Right, We've got movies, We've
got people eating, we got women putting their mascara on.
How do you keep track of that if it is
(03:22):
not like texting, or there is not physical evidence of
Is it the witnesses, is it the driver that says, oh,
I was turning down my radio and got distracted or something.
How do you track that?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Actually distraction behind the wheel has been around for as
long as we've had cars. I mean, to your point,
people may choose to eat or drinks, the radio talk
to passengers, which can be distracting, especially if you're looking
over your shoulder.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Right.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
We talked about as kids, right, telling your kids to
behave or people in the backseat engaging with them. It's
gotten more acute with the cell phone and more.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Ubiquitous.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I would say now that we've got cell phones, the
safest way for people to drive is going to be
fully focused on the drive. And for cell phones, they're
wonderful technology devices, and every cell phone I've had at
least has the opportunity for the owner to turn on
a feature they will automatically reply if they're behind the
(04:31):
wheel and get a text or a phone call saying I'm.
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Driving right now.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
I will follow up with you later, and so you
don't get that notification that something came through until you're
actually stopped moving.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
So in some ways.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Technology can really help us out, especially with the cell
phone distraction, to prevent that distraction from happening in the
first place, I think I will say I've read studies
that when people hear that ding or that.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Alert from the phone.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
There is a reaction that they want to check and
see what came in. And if that's the case for people,
they really have to think about what they're doing.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
Do they have the time?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
They are they at home watching TV where it doesn't
matter if they're checking their phone at the same time.
I would say, when you're behind the wheel of a
four thousand pound vehicle, that's not the best time to
be paying attention to what may be coming through on
the cell phone.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
All right, and put it away if you're so inclined.
I found another distraction is the smart watch because I
have my watch attached to my phone, so I could
put my phone away, But when the phone rings or
when the phone get a text, I can immediately do
you know, look look at the watch and I think, oh,
you know that before this phone call, I didn't even
(05:56):
think about that as being a distraction. If you just
join us, I'm Sandy Collins, and my guest today here
on iHeart Sindsey is Jane Terry. She's the director of
the Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection for the
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Because April is National Distracted
Driving Awareness Month, so we were looking at the numbers
(06:17):
here earlier. The last statistics I think you guys have
that are completed from twenty twenty three and over thirty
two hundred people who died in distracted driving crashes. How
do you track? How's it tracking now? Do you think
it's going up or down? Is it these laws better?
Like in Ohio we passed the law that said you
(06:41):
can't even hold the phone, so you can do it
hands free. I always have it on the dashboard, but
you're not allowed to have the phone in your hand.
How are the states trending now with fatalities and distracted
driving accidents?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Historically the distracted related fatalities have been between three and
four thousand.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
We know though that's an undercount.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
When you get to the scene of a fatal crash
as an investigator, you may not be able to figure
out if distraction played a role. NITSA did a study
a few years ago and actually attributed distraction as a
cause in fatal crashes to about thirty percent of those
fatal crashes, which means and equates to about ten or
(07:28):
eleven thousand people each year dying as a result of
distracted driving. Laws definitely help and conversations like this are
important because not only is it passing the law, but
then educating people about the law. And obviously you're right
there on the border with Kentucky. Kentucky's gone a little
(07:49):
bit further too, and that they've got a law on
the books for those under eighteen that you can't use
a phone at all when you're behind the wheel of
a vehicle, which is important because we know crash rates
for young drivers are are very very high, and they
they especially need to be completely focused on the task
(08:12):
of driving when they're when they're behind the wheel.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I read one of your statistics it said texting takes
you know, five seconds off the road, and if you're
going fifty five miles an hour, I think it said
you travel the length of a football field in that
amount of time. That's you're like, oh my god, that
so you might as well just close your eyes, right,
I mean, that's that's the equivalent. And we've and we've
(08:36):
been seeing it.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
More and more.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Any other thoughts on ways to remind ourselves.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Well, this is a great conversation to have and share
with with your listeners, so appreciate your taking the time
for this. Like I said, technology is part of the problem,
but it can be part of the solution. And I
would encourage your listeners to look at what features are
available on their phones to silence notifications when they are
(09:02):
moving in a vehicle. It doesn't take much time to
implement it, and it can be really actually save a life.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Another opportunity, too, is for employers.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
In your area to think about what their safe driving
policies are. You think about, especially during the daytime, how
many people are on the road for their work, and
employers thinking about policies like don't be on the phone,
making sure you're buckling your seatbelt, not driving impaired, that
you're following the speed limits. Those can really make changes
(09:37):
in the way people behave behind the wheel too.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
That's really interesting. I had not thought of it because
our salesforces is out on the road quite often, and
I don't even know if our company has any sort
of a company policy towards business driving. But you know,
you see the guys that have their files stacked up
in their passenger seat, and they have their little mobile office,
and so I'm sure it's very tempting to keep that
(10:03):
phone on while you're while you're tooling them out. But
it's not a good idea. Jane Terry, thank you so
much for being with us here on iHeart Cincy. And
where can folks get more information about NITZA and what
you're doing for the distracted drivers.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Our website is a NITZA dot gov. That's n h
ts A dot gov and you can definitely find more
information there.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
All right, Jane, thanks again, I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Oh, thank you so much. And stay safe out there.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Director Jane Terry, the director of the Office of Impaired
Driving and Occupant Protection from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Coming up, the.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Color of laws, the authority they are given to them
by the government to arrest, to uphold the law, and
if they abuse that position is when there's an excessive
force
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