THERE WAS some stunning news last week about using a cell phone while driving.
By filing a Freedom of Information Act request, consumer watchdog groups Public Citizen and the Center for Auto Safety obtained National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents about driving and cell phone use, a development reported by The New York Times. The documents are posted
An NHTSA draft policy statement argued that phone use posed a threat to safety that surpassed the dangers from other driver distractions:
"While drivers must recognize that all distractions can be dangerous, wireless communication devices are a particularly unique and troublesome since they involve cognitive distraction. Research has consistently demonstrated that diversion
The document is clearly a draft, and contains grammatical errors. But it shows at least one employee at NHTSA believed that hands-free devices were not much of an improvement over hand-held ones, and that drivers should be warned against all use.
I contacted the NHTSA for comment. The agency's public affairs staff referred me to the U.S. secretary of transportation. I wanted to know whether the agency would recommend not driving with cell phones--hands-free or hand-held.
I got the following response from Olivia Alair, a Department of Transportation spokeswoman.
"Safety is the number one priority for the Department of Transportation and Secretary LaHood is deeply concerned that drivers are taking their focus off the road to send text messages or use their cell phone. Distracted driving causes crashes and we want to stress that the best way to avoid accidents is for drivers to keep their eyes and their concentration on the road when they get behind the wheel," Alair wrote in an e-mail.
Virginia has already banned text messaging on hand-held wireless devices by any driver operating a moving vehicle. Drivers under 18 are also not allowed to use a hand-held wireless device to make phone calls. But anyone in Virginia can still use hands-free wireless devices to place a call.
It will be interesting to see whether the NHTSA documents have any influence on this debate in the next Virginia General Assembly session.
Dear Kelly: I have noticed that most of the area gas stations (7-Eleven and Wawa in Spotsylvania) no longer have the commonwealth of Virginia weights and measures sticker indicating they have been inspected to verify the accuracy of the amount of fuel they are dispensing.
Has this inspection requirement been dropped?
--Paul Vadeboncoeur, Spotsylvania
No, the inspection process still exists. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspects every motor-fuel pump, and the meters inside, so customers know they are receiving a true gallon of gas and the proper type of fuel, whether it's unleaded, midgrade, premium or diesel. Inspectors also check to see whether customers receive a receipt from the pump if they want one, and that lighting around the pumps is adequate. The state inspection sticker indicates the pump has passed the inspection.
If you were buying gas at a relatively new station, the state may not have dropped in to do an inspection yet. Since 2005, gas stations in Virginia have been allowed to open for business without a visit from an agency-employed inspector, said Robert Bailey, program manager of the agency's Office of Product and Industry Standards.
Instead, the agency trains and licenses inspectors who work for private businesses. Gas stations can hire these private inspectors to check their pumps at opening.
The state inspectors follow up as quickly as they can, Bailey said. However, the number of inspectors statewide is small: just 20 people checking 86,000 meters inside pumps.
Usually, one or two state inspectors are working in the Fredericksburg area. Inspecting a large gas station with 16 pumps (with multiple meters inside) can take as long as four hours, Bailey said. Inspectors rely on clerks at the stations to activate pumps, and if it's busy inside the store it can take longer to get their attention.
The agency strives to inspect every station once every two years.
If you have a concern about a specific station, such as the ones you mention, call the agency at 800/552-9963 to report it. Bailey said all inspectors carry BlackBerrys, and they can usually deviate from their schedules to respond to a specific complaint quickly. "Sometimes we've been able to investigate a complaint within 20 minutes of receiving it," Bailey said.
Dear Kelly: What's up with the traffic lights at Fall Hill Avenue and Carl D. Silver Parkway?
In the early morning hours (around 5:30 a.m.) the light cycle does not allow traffic coming from State Route 3 to pass through on Fall Hill, but instead stops motorists indefinitely at a red light.
I've encountered this situation twice in the last week, and it's dangerous since people eventually have to run the red light to move on.
--James Allewelt, Fredericksburg
The traffic signal's loop was malfunctioning. Fredericksburg's Public Works Department says the signal has been fixed, and should be working properly now. Thank you for reporting it!
Kelly Hannon is The Free Lance-Star's transportation reporter. If you have questions, send them to Getting There, c/o The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401; or fill out the Getting There form at fredericksburg.com.