Learn about Dangers of Distracted Driving

Host: He is a former junior high school teacher, a dad, and grandfather and he also just to happens to be a former Congress Men from Illinois who served on the House Transportation Committee. Ray LaHood is now the Secretary of Transportation for the Obama administration and we are seriously lucky enough to have him here on Better. To talk about what he calls an epidermic distracted drivers. Welcome to this show good to have you here. Ray LaHood: Thank you, glad to be on Better. Host: I know, hopefully you are making drivers better. Ray LaHood: I hope so. Host: Because this is the huge issue to so many people. Ray LaHood: It really is. Host: It really annoys me, distracted drivers on their cell phones, they are texting. Ray LaHood: Exactly. Host: But you guys have really made this a national forum for people to come and talk about this. Ray LaHood: We had over 300 people in Washington in a day-and-half summit and we are really addressing the issue, we know that you can't text and drive and you can't drive safely its epidemic among teenagers. It's also causes great injury and deaths to people that aren't even involved in your car because you are texting and driving you can't really do it safely so. Host: Yeah and you are office is doing whatever - what's causing an accident. Ray LaHood: Exactly. Host: Speaking of which last year alone 6000 people were killed in crashes. Ray LaHood: That right. Host: Involving distracted drivers and this really is, no doubt. Ray LaHood: That's a million more injured last year. Host: Really. Are you seeing a lot of anger in people, saying we need something needs to be done? Ray LaHood: Absolutely particularly family members who have lost the loved one. Particularly family members who either were injured as were as a result of someone texting and driving, or using a cell phone. Host: Right. Ray LaHood: Yeah people are mad, I mean they you know when they get in a car or train or a plane or whatever, they want to make sure that they get there safely and you can't get there safely if the train driver is texting if the bus drivers texting or if you are texting, you just can't do it. Host: Just going to say it is not as limited to people driving car. This morning I honestly saw someone driving a bus school bus with kids, on the phone trying to text with another phone and driving with his --. Ray LaHood: We are going to take their license away if they are caught doing that, bus drivers. Host: Really, okay. Ray LaHood: They shouldn't do it. Host: Okay and you even held to summit to talk about this, well how did that go? Ray LaHood: We did in Washington DC. We had over 300 people, it went very well. We actually had family members who had lost loved ones. We had those who were the cause of the accidents, the ones that were actually texting while driving and causing accident, some caused accidents where people where killed some great testimony. Host: What was the outcome of that? Ray LaHood: The outcome is that President Obama signed an Executive Order telling every Federal employee of you have a government issued Blackberry cell phone you cant use it while driving. If you're driving a government owned car you cant text and drive and at the department we have implemented that immediately, we are going to make sure that school bus drivers don't text and drive, the train drivers don't text and drive, the pilots who are flying planes are not on their laptops over shooting the city that they are suppose to be landing at. Host: Right. Ray LaHood: We are going to try and enforce this all across the different ways that people get around bus, planes, trains, and automobiles. Host: And automobiles, is there any way though that as a driver if you see some one that is on their cell phone or that's texting. Is there any way to get their license plate number and somehow match that up with their cell phone records to see that they, yes they were on their cell phone while they were driving? Ray LaHood: We are going try and get the strong enforcement, we know that work was point 08 ten years ago no one knew what point 08 meant, now everybody knows you can't drink and drive click at your ticket. Now people when they get in the car they put their seat belt on. Host: Exactly. Ray LaHood: Those kinds of programs really worked and distracted driving will work it has to be strong enforcement, personal responsibility. People taking personal responsibility and we are going to try and get in the driver education programs so that when teenagers begin to drive they know put yours seat belt on and put your cell phone in the glove compartment. Host: And leave it there, all right Secretary LaHood, thank you so much for coming back good luck to you too. Ray LaHood: Thank you. Host: And if you guys want to get more information on what you can do to get involved in your community all you have to do is go to bettertv.com and then click on the links tab.