There’s a common feeling among drivers that laws relating to Distracted Driving won’t apply if their vehicle is stationary – stopped at a red-light , for example. The thinking seems to be “the car isn’t moving, therefore I’m not driving, so it’s safe to use my cellphone/work on the laptop etc”.

A recent case reported in the New York Times “Sunday Review” shows why the law (in California at least) disagrees with this point of view.

A driver cited for cellphone use whilst stopped at a red-light in California, insisted  that there was a red-light exemption and that he should not have been cited. Traffic commissioners disagreed and fined him. A superior court judge rejected his appeal, as did the Court of Appeal of the State of California, who ruled:

  • there is no red-light exemption
  • “driving” includes stopping

i.e. operating a vehicle includes those times when the vehicle is stationary.

This seems like common sense, and while this ruling only applies specifically to California, it is likely that similar reasoning would prevail in other states that have such laws.

Read the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/the-case-of-the-distracted-driver.html

Blank-IT has been designed to accommodate such scenarios, to help drivers avoid falling foul of this kind of legislation.

Blank-IT can be configured to keep a computer/laptop screen blanked out, even if the vehicle comes to a temporary stop (in congestion, at traffic lights or if pulled over by a law-enforcement officer, for example). Requiring a specific manual override in order to unlock the display, this will ensure that your in-vehicle displays conform to laws governing use of computers.

Blank-IT has been designed specifically to address the problem of driver distraction caused by in-vehicle computers and laptops. It is easily installed, doesn’t rely on 3rd party input such as GPS, is fully customisable for different working environments and will help businesses conform with distracted driving legislation and OH&S requirements.