Maryland Distracted Driving Summit

Maryland distracted driving summit

Welcome to the Maryland Distracted Driving Summit!

The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MDOT MVA) Highway Safety Office, in partnership with DRIVE SMART Virginia, hosted the first ever Maryland Distracted Driving Summit virtually during the month of April. Speakers from across the country shared their expertise in four different education tracks. The track categories include: law enforcement, research/data, corporate/community strategies, and focused populations.

All webinars were recorded and can be accessed using this link: https://www.gotostage.com/channel/d87e7b76cc8a43e5b9627a81a93b2c59


Schedule of Webinars


Opening Panel: Can Technology Save Us from Distracted Driving?

Date: April 1, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:30pm EST

Speakers:

Opening by Ms. Christine Nizer, Administrator of the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration

Mr. Matt Fiorentino, TrueMotion; Dr. David Strayer, University of Utah; Dr. David Zuby, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Matt Fiorentino

Christine Nizer

David Strayer

David Zuby

 

 

 

 

 

Description: This panel will discuss the potential of technological solutions to distracted driving. Speakers will address solutions such as mobile device integration with in-vehicle infotainment systems, do not disturb while driving phone features, telematic monitoring, and driver assistance features. Learn about which of these offer the most promise and which solutions might exacerbate the problem of distracted driving.

LINK TO RECORDING HERE: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7993001347216213772

 


LAW ENFORCEMENT TRACK


Collecting the Evidence: Tools to Prosecute Distracted Driving Cases

Date: April 7, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speaker:

Corporal Stephen Fox, Prince George’s County Police Department; Ms. Joanne Thompka, National District Attorneys Association

Joanne Thomka

Stephen Fox

 

 

 

 

 

Description: Investigating a vehicular homicide involving distracted driving requires significant and complex investigatory practices. Finding a cell phone at a crash scene can help officers collect information that is critical to an investigation, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Corporal Fox and Ms. Thompka will explain tips to successfully investigate and prosecute crashes that are the result of distracted driving, including identifying types of evidence, cell phone recovery and forensic imaging, collection of cell phone and texting records, using air bag control module data to support distraction, and search warrant preparation.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2272023545216468236


Promising Practices and Lessons Learned from the Field

Date: April 14, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Mr. Michael Fergus, International Association of Chiefs of Police; Chief Daniel Sharp, Oro Valley Police Department (retired)

Mike Fergus

Daniel Sharp

 

 

 

 

 

Description: Civilians and law enforcement officers alike engage in distracted driving. The International Association of Chiefs of Police, in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is dedicated to providing law enforcement agencies with the tools and resources they need to reduce fatal and injury crashes related to distracted driving. This session will introduce the recently published toolkit entitled: Distracted Driving: Promising Practices and Lessons Learned for the Field. Speakers will explain how this toolkit can provide law enforcement chief executives, command staff, first-line supervisors, and patrol officers with effective approaches to educate and enforce distracted driving in their communities, along with strategies to reduce officer distraction in patrol vehicles.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/6860944175545579533


Traffic Enforcement- A New Paradigm and New Challenges

Date: April 16, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Chief Michael Brown, Alexandria Police Department; Assistant Chief Thomas Didone, Montgomery County Police Department

Michael Brown

Thomas Didone

 

 

 

 

 

Description: Several major developments in 2020 significantly impacted traffic safety across the country.  The COVID-19 pandemic changed driver behavior and transportation system use and also altered voluntary compliance with traffic safety laws in many communities. These conditions caused policing across the nation to be re-imagined and have impacted traditional approaches used to promote traffic safety. The speakers will assess these issues and the challenges faced by law enforcement.

Link to Recording Here:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/6950146454439655944


Distracted Driving Training and Enforcement Strategies

Date: April 21, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Ms. Pam McCaskill and Ms. Mary Ann Rayment, Transportation Safety Institute

Pam McCaskill

Mary Ann Rayment

 

 

 

 

Description: Enforcing distracted driving laws can be a challenge. Ms. McCaskill and Ms. Rayment will discuss distracted driving behaviors and the countermeasures proven to reduce the dangers of distracted driving, including enforcement which plays a key role in successfully changing these behaviors. Knowing how to enforce the laws in your state is critical. The speakers will explore a variety of strategies that can be considered in the ongoing effort to save lives.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7077273088465337359


CORPORATE/COMMUNITY STRATEGIES TRACK


Selling Safety in the Workplace

Date: April 5, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:00pm EST

Speaker:

Mr. J.A. Rodriguez, Board of Certified Safety Professionals

J.A. Rodriguez

 

 

 

 

 

Description: Getting everyone within an organization to be on the same safety page is often a challenging and seemingly impossible endeavor. This session will show anyone responsible for safety how to transform their company leaders into champions of the cause. Mr. Rodriguez travels the world mentoring leaders, and labor and safety professionals on how to convert their organizations from passive participants into active advocates of a safer workplace.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/3214239039478596363


Traffic Safety Culture, Vision Zero, and Distracted Driving

Date: April 12, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:00pm EST

Speaker:

Dr. Nicholas Ward, University of Montana

Nicholas Ward

 

 

 

 

Description: Dr. Ward will discuss a standard definition and behavioral model for traffic safety culture, as well as explore how this paradigm can support the development of new strategies to sustain our Zero Deaths goals. Specifically, Dr. Ward will discuss methods to  change our culture so that individuals are (1) more focused on attentive driving and (2) more willing to intervene when drivers are distracted (“safety citizenship”). In addition to understanding the role of traffic safety culture, Dr. Ward will discuss how our emotions influence impulses to be distracted and reactions to traffic safety messages that prohibit these behaviors.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/3586039996077503760


Corporate Strategies to Reduce Crash Risk

Date: April 19, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Mr. Mike Pitcher, LeasePlan (retired); Ms. Lisa Robinson, National Safety Council/Our Driving Concern

Michael Pitcher

Lisa Robinson

 

 

 

 

 

Description: Driving is fundamentally one of the most dangerous tasks we do. Nearly half of all workplace fatalities are transportation related and this session will address the importance of corporate strategies to create a strong driver and transportation safety culture. Ms. Robinson will explore risky driver behaviors most often involved in traffic crash causation and the importance of addressing these behaviors on and off the job, as well as implementing beneficial employer policies to mitigate crashes and an employer’s exposure to liability. Mr. Pitcher and his team instituted the first cell phone ban at LeasePlan while employees were driving company vehicles. Mr. Pitcher will discuss methods to reduce employer liability through multiple strategies such as state legislation, corporate policy, and individual responsibility.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/4406917785343846403


Using Technology to Combat Distracted Driving

Date: April 23, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:00pm EST

Speakers:

Mr. Frank Cruice and Mr. Tommy Pollard, Perdue Farms

Frank Cruice

Tommy Pollard

 

 

 

 

 

Description: Mr. Cruice and Mr. Pollard will discuss the use of on-board safety systems used by Perdue Farms to reduce driver distraction in its fleet vehicles. The speakers will share the thought process behind selecting and implementing systems such as cell phone blocking, collision avoidance, vehicle stability controls, and on-board video cameras. By sharing some of the successes and lessons Perdue has experienced, Mr. Cruice and Mr. Pollard will help participants  gain further understanding of some of the vehicle-based technology being used by fleets today.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7334076123804560396


FOCUSED POPULATIONS TRACK


Moving the Needle with Younger Drivers

Date: April 2, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Mr. Joel Feldman, EndDD.org; Ms. Emily Stein, Safe Roads Alliance

Joel Feldman

Joel Feldman

Emily Stein

 

 

 

 

Description: Changing culture so that distracted driving is no longer socially acceptable requires a multi-generational approach. In this session, speakers will discuss new strategies to reach teens to maximize opportunities for attitude and behavior change. Younger children are the focus of a new, first of its kind program, Kids Speaking Up for Road Safety, where kids learn about distracted driving long before they get their licenses, including how to intervene as passengers when mom or dad drive distracted. Mr. Feldman and Ms. Stein will also share information about how to involve parents when teens are learning to drive, as research continues to show that the more engaged parents are in the supervised driving process, the less likely it is for these teens to be involved in a crash.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2248495095783100687


Communicating with Younger Generations

Date: April 8, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Ms. Molly Whitfield, Madison and Main; Ms. Mary Zost, The Ad Council

Molly Whitfield

Mary Zost

 

 

 

 

Description: This session will highlight strategies used to reach teen and young adult audiences. Ms. Whitfield will discuss habits of these audiences, what motivates them, and how and where to reach them through approaches such as the use of social media platforms and influencers. Ms. Zost will speak to the power of peer-based communication and how the Ad Council and Project Yellow Light engage youth to help prevent distracted driving. The session will include insights on Gen Z and how the Ad Council and Project Yellow Light help elevate student voices.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2071191149355529217


The Distracted Pedestrian

Date: April 15, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Dr. Jeff Caird, University of Calgary; Dr. David Schwebel, University of Alabama

Jeff Caird

David Schwebel

 

 

 

 

Description: Pedestrian injury rates are increasing in the United States, and many experts suspect distraction, both by pedestrians and drivers, to be a major contributing factor. Dr. Schwebel will describe two innovative, technology-based programs designed to reduce distracted pedestrian behavior. Dr. Caird will discuss the effects of listening to music, browsing, texting, and engaging in conversation while street crossing using systematic review and meta-analytic methods. Potential engineering solutions will also be briefly addressed.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/4660012167829874446


Reaching Multicultural Drivers

Date: April 22, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:00pm EST

Speakers:

Ms. Victoria Mendoza and Ms. Laura Sonderup, Hispanidad

Victoria Mendoza

Laura Sondersup

 

 

 

 

Description: Talking to diverse groups about traffic safety presents challenges and opportunities. While it is possible to translate traffic safety campaigns into different languages or change the actors to represent different races or ethnicities, those approaches do not guarantee message clarity. Ms. Mendoza and Ms. Sonderup will explore how to address cultural differences in effective traffic safety campaigns, when and where to communicate with different constituent groups, and when it is a good idea to seek outside help. Successful multicultural and multilingual campaigns from DOTs in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota will be shared.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/466237325135442689


RESEARCH/DATA TRACK


The Facts and Predictors Behind Distracted Driving

Date: April 6, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Mr. Matt Fiorentino, TrueMotion; Dr. Pnina Gershon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Matt Fiorentino

Pnina Gershon

 

 

 

 

Description: Distraction behaviors vary in type and intensity among different groups. In this session, Mr. Fiorentino will explore the complex world of distracted driving behaviors and will reveal what data shows about distracted driving trends on our roadways. Dr. Gershon will explain teen distracted driving behaviors and the resulting crash risk. She will also discuss the prevalence of secondary task engagement, identify tasks associated with increased crash risk, and compare risk across age groups. Lastly, Dr. Gershon will review environmental and psychosocial factors of distracted driving and will assess the contribution of visual inattention to the crash risk of teenage drivers.

Link to the Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/1339860885700737804


Infotainment and Vehicle Technologies: Recent Findings and Their Implications for Driver Distraction and Workload

Date: April 9, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Dr. William Horrey, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety; Dr. David Strayer, University of Utah

William Horrey

David Strayer

 

 

 

 

Description: Dr. Horrey and Dr. Strayer will provide an overview of the past several years of research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the University of Utah. Specifically, they will address cognitive distraction and workload associated with in-vehicle interfaces and infotainment systems. They will also describe recent work examining the workload associated with the use of advanced driver assistance systems.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/9140431890930890256


Data Driven Approaches to Traffic Safety

Date: April 13, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Aty, University of Central Florida; Dr. Daniel Flynn, Volpe Center

Mohamed Abdel-Aty

Daniel Flynn

 

 

 

 

Description: Speakers in this session will discuss two different projects that use data to understand and help prevent crashes. Dr. Flynn will share the methodology used by Volpe Center researchers to integrate user-reported crash information from the Waze app with crash data from the State of Maryland. Dr. Abdel-Aty will outline the real-time visualization system developed by the University of Central Florida. This system results in real-time safety risk prediction that enables decision makers and operators to identify potential road safety problems in advance. Data sources include traffic and weather sensors, smart phone-based data, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/6389024988788987399


Teaching Teens to Drive: The Parental Role

Date: April 20, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:10pm EST

Speakers:

Dr. Jonathan Ehsani, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Charlie Klauer, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

Johnathon Ehsani

Charlie Klauer

 

 

 

 

Description: Parents play a critical role in teaching their teenager to drive. Dr. Ehsani and Dr. Klauer will present the latest scientific evidence on how parents can help keep teenagers safe as they take the wheel. The webinar includes practical steps on how parents can guide their teenager during the learner stage and how these vital role models can reduce the risk of crashes when teenagers begin driving on their own.

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/4318136619469565192


Closing Session: What’s Next for Maryland?

Date: April 30, 2021

Time: 2:00 – 3:00pm EST

Speaker: Dr. Tim Kerns; Maryland Highway Safety Office

Description: Dr. Kerns and members of the Maryland Highway Safety Office staff will discuss the state’s current distracted driving programming and look ahead to future opportunities to raise awareness. Presenters will summarize some key learnings from the Maryland Distracted Driving Summit and provide actionable next steps for attendees.

Tim Kerns

Link to Recording Here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/2668807605375590159