A new study finds that U.S. drivers drive distracted more often than they devote their full attention to the road.
"Researchers with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) have a theory," according to an article by Aarian Marshall, "American drivers have simply gotten worse at driving."
The researchers, led by Tom Dingus, the director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, published a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finding "that people behind the wheels of passenger vehicles are distracted more than 50 percent of the time." The main culprit in this new era of distracted driving, according to the study is the cell phone, of course, but there are other forms of distraction as well.
The article includes more details of the study's methodology and more examples from the study's findings.
Read the full story: U.S. Drivers Are Distracted More Than Half the Time They're Behind the Wheel
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Philadelphia to invest $2 billion into upgrading city airports as PHL places last in customer satisfaction
Modernizations to Philadelphia's airports will include baggage system upgrades and a new automated parking garage guidance system.
The LA housing policies making developers turn away from the city
Despite LA’s housing shortage, developers say the city’s "mansion-tax" and pandemic-era policies make it an unappealing place to build housing.
New density bill would require 7 California cities to establish regional transit hubs
The bill would also require major cities in California to permit high-rise residential buildings.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello