WAMU 88.5
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Michael Pope
Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton speaks at a press conference in Vienna.
A revealing thing happened on the way to a press conference about distracted driving: Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton was fighting his way through Tysons Corner when suddenly, "I was following behind someone who was quite obviously texting while they were driving out here. And they were meandering between the lanes, between a couple of trucks."
That's exactly why Connaughton called a handful of business leaders to this parking lot in Vienna. The message? Drivers should be keeping their attention on the road rather than making calls, sending texts or reading e-mails.
"The best safety device on America's roadways today is the conscientious driver, the driver who is attentive, the driver who is undistracted," says Federal Highway administrator Wayne Fedora.
Connaughton hopes to get 100 regional employers to take the "Orange Cones, No Phones" employer safety pledge in the next 100 days.
Michael Pope also reports for Northern Virginia's Connection Newspapers.
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