NTSB releases agenda for attentive driving forum

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published the agenda for its forum later this month on reducing driver distractions.

“Attentive Driving: Countermeasures for Distraction” will be held March 27 in Washington, D.C., at the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center, located at 429 L'Enfant Plaza S.W.

As SBF previously reported, the event will look at the range of distractions that compete for drivers’ attention, characterize the various distracted-driver laws and discuss the differences in how states have adopted restrictions.

NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman will moderate the forum, and the other four board members will participate. The free event is open to the public and will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Four panels of invited experts from federal and state governments, vehicle manufacturers, safety advocacy groups, law enforcement and the research community will discuss specific countermeasures to distracted driving. They include legislation, enforcement, changing attitudes and behaviors through education and outreach, and technological solutions.

The panels will also consider recent research on driver distraction that could contribute to reducing distracted-driving accidents.

Panelists scheduled to attend include Anne McCartt, Ph.D., from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Oregon Sen. Bruce Starr, Jeffrey Michael from NHTSA and James Sayer, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Organizations and individuals can submit materials for inclusion in the forum's public docket. Submissions should directly address one or more of the forum's four topic areas (identified by the panel titles on the agenda) and should be submitted electronically as an attached document to attentivedriving@ntsb.gov.

The forum will also be webcast on the NTSB's website. Webcast details will be posted when they become available, and the webcast archives will remain active for three months following the event, officials said.

For the complete agenda and other details, go here.