The U.S. Department of Transportation and Consumer Reports have formed a new partnership to educate parents, teachers, and teens about the dangers of distracted driving.

The collaboration comes after Consumer Reports released the results of a new national survey that shows younger drivers are more likely to use handheld devices while driving —and less likely to view them as a danger.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined Jim Guest, the president of Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, at the organization’s headquarters to discuss the risks of distracted driving at a panel discussion by safety experts representing schools, families, and law enforcement. LaHood is the first member of a Presidential Cabinet to visit the Consumer Reports headquarters in Yonkers, NY.

Secretary LaHood said, “Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America’s roads, and teens are especially vulnerable because of their inexperience behind the wheel and, often, peer pressure.

“Behind the statistics are real families who have been devastated by these tragedies,” LaHood said. “We’re pleased to be working with Consumer Reports to raise awareness and help communities fight this problem.”

“It only takes a moment of distraction to cause a tragedy,” Guest said. “No text or call is worth a life. We know that educating people about the risk of distracted driving works. This partnership is devoted to spreading the word about the dangers of distracted driving and specific steps you can take to make a difference.”

A new national survey by Consumer Reports National Research Center showed how widespread distracted driving is, especially among younger drivers:

• Sixty-three percent of respondents under 30 years old reported using a handheld phone while driving in the past 30 days, and 30 percent of them texted while driving during the same period. That compares with 41 percent and 9 percent, respectively, of respondents who were 30 or older.

• Among the under-30 respondents, only 36 percent were very concerned about the problem of distracted driving, and only 30 percent felt it was very dangerous to use a handheld phone.

• Sixty-four percent of respondents overall said they had seen other drivers texting using a handheld device in the past 30 days. Ninety-four percent had observed drivers talking on a mobile phone and 58 percent had seen a dangerous driving situation related to a distracted driver in the past month.

• Seventy-eight percent of respondents overall said they had reduced or stopped behaviors related to distracted driving. Of that group, 66 percent said they did so because of reading or hearing about the dangers.

The survey was fielded in November 2010 with a total of 1026 respondents.

According to the Department of Transportation, nearly 5,500 people in the U.S. were killed and almost half a million were injured in accidents related to distracted driving in 2009. Eighteen percent of those fatal accidents involved the use of a cell phone.

A free guide for parents and educators called “Distracted Driving Shatters Lives” is available at the Department of Transportation (DOT)’s website, Distraction.gov, and ConsumerReports.org/Distracted. Copies will be distributed to schools and volunteer groups by the National School Safety Coalition.

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