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There are too many distractions at the wheel — cell phones, navigation systems, high tech stereos — and most drivers attempt to juggle these attention-grabbing devices while they’re driving.

The Department of Transportation, however, has encouraging news. Despite the number of distractions drivers encounter, “2009 fatality and injury data [show] that highway deaths fell to 33,808 for the year, the lowest number since 1950. The record-breaking decline in traffic fatalities occurred even while estimated vehicle miles traveled in 2009 increased by 0.2 percent over 2008 levels. In addition, 2009 saw the lowest fatality and injury rates ever recorded: 1.13 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2009, compared to 1.26 deaths for 2008.”

The New York Times reports it is likely that the problem is “even more widespread than the figures indicate because many police departments do not consistently record whether distractions played a role in crashes.”

To decrease these numbers, the Department of Transportation has made safety its top priority. “[This] announcement shows that America’s roads are the safest they’ve ever been. But they must be safer. And we will not rest until they are,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood states in the department’s press release.

The transportation data kicks off the Distracted Driving Summit, a campaign to make American roads safer. “This summit brings together transportation experts, safety advocates, law enforcement officials, industry representatives, academic researchers, and distracted driving victims,” Secretary LaHood explains in Fast Lane, his traffic blog.

The Department of Transportation stresses that while roads are safer, the statistics show there is still a lot of room for improvement. One of the first steps is to combat multi-tasking at the wheel. Secretary LaHood emphasizes that drivers must put down their devices because they are “jeopardizing our own safety and the safety of others.”

The New York Times summarizes the Transportation Department’s report further, saying “The report cited distractions in 16 percent of fatal crashes involving drivers under the age of 20, more than in any other age group. However, drivers aged 30 to 39 were most likely to be involved in a fatal crash while distracted by a mobile phone.”

Secretary LaHood continues, “Americans are hooked on multi-tasking,” and to save lives, we must focus on the road, not on text messages and phone calls that can wait until we’ve parked our cars.

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