From NBC News world headquarters in New York, this is NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams
Good evening, tonight an agency of the federal government has decided that texting,
emailing or talking on a cell phone while driving a car is simply too dangerous
and should be outlawed in this country.
All of it, by all of us.
This comes from the National Transportation Safety Board, the N.T.S.B.
The very serious folks who investigated airline crashed among other things.
And their advice is likely to carry a lot of weight.
They've determined too many people are dying because of distracted driving and they want it outlawed.
Of course here is what they're up against:
the millions of us who drive distracted on occasion, especially those of us who think
"we're fine, it's the others drivers who present the greatest danger on the road".
While it's about to become a bigger issue than it already is.
We begin tonight with NBC's Tom Castello in Washington.Tom, good evening.
Hi Brian, the government says at any given moment
one out of a hundred drivers you pass on the road is texting while driving.
The NTSB calls it an epidemic as too many people,
thousands of people are dying, and it has to end.
Investigator say this fatal chain reaction crash
involving two school buses in Gray Summit, Missouri last year
was caused by a 19-year old pickup driver texting while driving.
11 texts in 11 minutes.
Today, after years of similar reports, the NTSB said it's heard enough.
No one can drive safely when they're distracted.
Today the Safety Board called on all 50 states and D.C.
to ban the use of all portable electronic devices for all drivers.
An exception would only be made for emergencies and GPS units, but not handfree devices.
At the moment, 35 states ban texting while driving.
10 and D.C. ban handheld devices.
But no states have the kind of total ban the NTSB wants.
We need to stand up and say this is not acceptable behavior.
Under a new refined reporting system the government says
there were 3,092 fatalities as a result of distracted driving in 2010.
Meanwhile, roughly 20% of all drivers and 50% of drivers between 21-24 years of age
admit to having texted while driving.
She was looking at my message that I had just sent her.
She was actually ejected through the driver's side door.
Public service campaigns like this one launched by AT&T
have tried to drive home the dangers of distracted driving.
Four little letters, that's what killed her.
I sent a meaningless text "LOL" and killed a man.
Today the wireless industry declined to comment on any potential ban
instead calling for "new products and services,
including those that can disable the driver's mobile device".
In Los Angeles, mixed reaction.
A complete ban of any cell phone use in your car.
I don't think I would support that.
I could live without it. I've lived without it for 30 years. Why not now?
We know that this recommendation is going to be very unpopular with some people.
But we're not here to win a popularity contest.
The NTSB says handsfree devices are covered because it believes
that the distracted drivers who are talking on a handsfree device
are still distracted and are in fact leading to terrible crashes.
Now, a totally ban may seem unlikely at this point,
however, you might see insurance companies and corporations decide
that they are going to enact their own rules that would apply to employee and maybe even policyholders.
So this does have some real possibility going forward. Brian.
We're going to hear a lot more about this
and Tom, you be careful out there. Tom Castello tonight in Washington.
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