Northern Virginia drivers won’t be forced to kick their bad habit this year.

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At a time when distracted driving is increasing along the Capital Beltway, according to a Transurban-Fluor and AAA Mid-Atlantic survey, Virginia lawmakers have shot down several bills that would have banned talking on the phone while driving and made texting while driving a primary offense.

“It’s a great disappointment and it’s a blow to traffic safety in the state of Virginia,” said Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, John Townsend.

The survey, released in late 2010, found 55 percent of Beltway drivers use their cell phones while driving. Townsend said the same percentage of AAA Mid-Atlantic members surveyed reported having been involved in a collision or a near miss accident caused by a distracted driver.

“That tells you the magnitude of the problem, the scope of the problem and the seriousness of the problem,” Townsend said. “The only people who are not taking it seriously are the lawmakers in Virginia."

The measures that would have brought stricter distracted driving laws to Virginia failed in the House Militia, Police and Public Safety subcommittee.
Gov. Bob McDonnell is not taking a stance on the failure of those measures.

“Wireless carriers continue to educate their customers and work with law enforcement officials to ensure the public is aware of the potential dangers of improper use of wireless devices while driving,” a spokeswoman for McDonnell said in a statement.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, however, recently renewed his commitment to end what he calls “the deadly epidemic” of distracted driving.

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, distracted driving killed 5,500 people in 2009 and injured 500,000 Americans.

“To save lives, we need a combination of tough laws, strong enforcement, and increased public awareness and personal responsibility,” LaHood said.