CTIA Responds to National Safety Council Study

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 Tom Wheeler, President & CEO of the
Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) today responded to a
new study released by the National Safety Council on driver distractions.

    "The wireless industry has long held that education is the key to
addressing the issue of driver distraction," stated Wheeler.  "Any activity a
driver engages in, besides the task of driving, has the potential to distract.
Therefore, we must remind drivers that their primary responsibility is to
drive safely and we must educate them on how to recognize when it's
appropriate to use a wireless phone, change a CD, or look at a map while
driving."

    According to a study from the California Highway Patrol, "Enacting more
laws may not discourage some drivers from using their cellular telephones
while driving, just as laws do not deter some drivers from speeding or
engaging in other unsafe driving practices.  Education should be a key
component in any efforts to reduce the risk of traffic collisions resulting
from cellular telephone use, and could prove to be more effective than
sanctions."

    This year, CTIA, in conjunction with the National Safety Council, produced
public service announcements (PSAs) reminding drivers of their responsibility
to the road and encouraging drivers who decide to use their phones behind the
wheel to first ask themselves, "Is this the appropriate time to make a call?"
And, "Will this call distract me from my first responsibility to drive
safely?"

    The PSA also encourages wireless phone users to follow some basic dos and
don'ts:

    1)  Never take notes or look up phone numbers.
    2)  Never use your phone in heavy traffic or hazardous conditions.
    3)  Let the person you are talking with know you are driving and keep your
        call short.
    4)  Use a hands-free device and speed dial to place calls.