Adding - P15 Driver Distracted By - to Your State PAR

[DBozak]

Long time no see fellow - MMUCC users.

I appreciated the recent table of all 50 states which showed cell phone usage attributes by State contained on State PARs. In Connecticut, we've discussed this topic at some length during our past couple TRCC meetings.

My question for MMUCC users - has anyone incorporated P15 Driver Distracted By into their State PAR? MMUCC is a minimum, so if your state went beyond the attributes of P15, please share those as well. Of those States who have added P15 to their State PAR, can you share any frequencies yet? Numbers of motor vehicle crashes in which the Driver was Distracted By ...

* Not distracted
* Electronic communication device
* Other electronic device (navigation device, DVD player, etc.)
* Other inside the Vehicle
* External distraction (outside the vehicle)
* Unknown

Thanks a lot - hope to hear from some of you.
Happy holidays!
Dave Bozak

[marty.pollock@state.tn.us]

Dave, TN has adopted the FARS values for the Driver Distractions as follows>
None; Cellular Telephone Present in Vehicle; Cellular in use, Computer, Fax, Printers; On Board Navigation; Other Electronic Device; Two Way Radio; Heads Up Display; Other Inside Vehicle, Other Outside Vehicle; Other;.

We adopted these attributes and the cooresponding validation rules at the onset of our New TITAN Reporting System, which went live April 2008. With only partial local agencies utilizing this new approach, we can provide data comparisons with limited results.

[Steve Schreier]

Dave,

Michigan is in the midst of reviewing every field and element of our crash form in relation to MMUCC standards. We have not yet tackled the "Distracted Driver" area, but once we do I can share with you our plans.

Steve
schreies@michigan.gov

[lheinert]

North Dakota has added P15 to their crash report form. This change became effective July 1, 2009. The codes were added to the contributing factors section.

[nlcharlson]

Hi Dave,
Oregon has listed the following under the "Driver Factors" section of our PAR: cell phone, fatigue/drowsy, ill/blackout.

In addition, we code for the following reported actions or activities: cell phone use on PAR or citizen report, cell phone use witnessed by other participant, driver distracted, passenger interfering with driver, physically ill, animal or insect interfered with driver.

In Oregon, the number of motor vehicle crashes involving a driver using a cell phone was: 345 in 2008, 362 in 2007, 340 in 2006, 267 in 2005.

Nicole Charlson
ODOT Transportation Safety Division

[Karen Bonds]

Arkansas has the following:
Driver Distraction
0 - Not Distracted
1 - Electronic Communication Device (cell phone, pager, etc.)
2 - Other Electronic Device ( navigation device, palm pilot, etc.)
3 - Other Inside the Vehicle
4 - other Outside the Vehicle
99 - Unknown

This is both on the latest paper form ( 01/07) and on the TraCS form and is captured for every driver in the crash.

[Steve Rich]

Idaho is currently in the process of revising our crash report. Element P-15 will be added as stated in MMUCC 3rd Dition.

Steve Rich

[Gary]

In Utah we have the following data element:

Driver Distraction:
-None
-Cell Phone
-Radio/CD/DVD etc.
-Other Electronic Device
-Passengers
-Other
-Unknown

"Other" accounts for 60% of the distractions on Utah police reports so I would recommend to other states to not include an "other" option. Instead of other it would work better in Utah to have a "other distraction inside vehicle" and "distraction outside vehicle."