Douglas R. Horn, a Kansas City lawyer concentrating in motor vehicle accident law and crash litigation, will be in Nashville next week attending the Governor’s Highway Safety Association annual meeting. The conference brings together the nations traffic safety leaders in an effort to reduce traffic fatalities.
This year the distracted driving epidemic will be at center stage as transportation officials and authorities look for ways to stop texting and other cell phone use while driving. Traffic deaths are on the rise across the nation and many experts, including Horn, believe the proliferation of the smartphone is the reason.
This is no longer a texting teen issue, said Horn. Adults have adopted the smartphone as a primary way to stay connected and manage hectic work and personal lives. Not only are adults using phones to talk and text, but depend upon them to email, navigate, and a host of other computer-related activities. Adults now represent the largest segment of distracted drivers, Horn added.
At the GHSA meetings Horn will be presenting his solutions, which include his ideas to villainize distracted driving. In the process of alerting motorists to the new universe of roadway risk associated with distracted driving, we need driver safety campaigns that make cell phone use while driving a socially unacceptable activity. Once we accomplish this, we will see a change in driver behavior, Horn stated.
Horn’s distracted driving prevention programs are part of his Drive By Example Driver Safety platform. Since 2009, Horn has devoted a substantial part of his work to driving safety advancement, particularly in the area of distracted driving prevention and teen driver protection. More information about Horn’s driving safety work can be found at drivebyexample.com.