Distracted driving is receiving increasing attention from the media, government, industry, safety organizations, and the public. Initial concern stemmed from the rapidly-rising and highly visible use of cell phones while driving. But there are many other sources of driver distraction both inside and outside the vehicle.Their effects on safety can be quite varied and the potential strategies to address them are equally diverse. The International Conference on Distracted Driving was organized by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) and the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). Sponsored by 17 government and private sector agencies, it brought together over 100 delegates from Canada, the United States and abroad, representing a diverse group of stakeholders. The conference included a blend of formal presentations by internationally recognized traffic safety experts and small-group problem-solving workshops. This report integrates and summarizes key information from the presentations as well as the conclusions and recommendations from the workshops. These recommendations, generated by conference participants based on their collective conclusions about distracted driving, are intended to provide guidance to a wide range of stakeholders. (Author/publisher)
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