AAA Urges States to Ban Texting While Driving

With 2010 state legislative sessions convening across the country, AAA, as part of a nationwide campaign, is urging lawmakers to consider bans on text messaging by all drivers. As of Jan. 1, 19 states and the District of Columbia had enacted laws addressing this dangerous behavior.

Based on ample research illustrating the severely degrading effect texting has on driving performance, AAA believes the practice presents a clear and persistent danger to everyone on the road.

As part of its Traffic Safety Culture Index released in 2009, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety showed that 21 percent of survey respondents admitted to texting while driving during the last month. Nonetheless, research consistently shows high public support for laws against this behavior, ranging from 80 percent to 97 percent.

To learn more about AAA's efforts to combat texting while driving and other driving distractions, contact your local AAA club.

• AAA Applauds DOT Secretary's Announcement of Federal Ban on Texting While Driving for Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators (press release)
• AAA President and CEO Calls on Oklahoma Business Leaders to Mobilize Against Texting While Driving (press release); AAA President and CEO's Remarks
• AAA Campaign Aims to Pass Texting While Driving Bans in All 50 States by 2013; Together with Foundation Launches 'Heads Up Driving Week' (press release)
• AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety's Heads Up Driving Week page

AAA Traffic Safety Poster Program

Whether it's about TV shows, video games or the latest fashions, kids find value in what their peers have to say. That's why the AAA Traffic Safety Program is so valuable to highlighting traffic crashes - the No. 1 killer of children ages 2 to 14 - and the dangers facing novice teen drivers. In its 66^th year, the program encourages to students to use their creativity to visually depict the importance of child passenger and pedestrian safety and the perils of distracted and impaired driving.

For more information about the AAA Traffic Safety Poster Program, or to submit an entry, contact your local AAA club.

Winter Driving Tips

Record cold in early January blanketed much of the country, making driving treacherous not only in traditional winter-weather areas, but much of the South, including Florida. Whether you're facing snow, sleet, ice or other conditions, AAA offers tips to help keep you and others safe on the road.

• Winter Driving Tips
• Get a Grip - a guide to wet-weather driving techniques
• How to Go on Ice and Snow - aids in becoming a safer and more efficient driver despite winter's adverse weather conditions.

Senior Drivers

At some point, we'll reach an age when physical limitations inhibit our ability to drive safely. Determining what to do then is a delicate issue filled with difficult decisions. Traditionally, information to help older drivers and their families during this time has been scarce - until now. AAA has launched AAASeniors.com, a Web site that offers extensive content, resources and tools related to senior mobility challenges to help extend safe driving while assisting in transitioning from driver to passenger.