Distracted driving : what research shows and what states can do.

This report reviews and summarizes distracted driving research available as of January 2011 to inform states and other organizations as they consider distracted driving countermeasures. It concentrates on distractions produced by cell phones, text messaging and other electronic devices brought into the vehicle. It also considers other distractions that drivers choose to engage in, such as eating and drinking, personal grooming, reading, and talking to passengers. It addresses distractions associated with vehicle features only briefly. They have been studied extensively by automobile manufacturers, but states have little role in addressing them. (Author/publisher)