Lawsuit Demands Cell Phone, Traffic Fatality Stats
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is unlawfully withholding records that detail the relationship between driver cell phone use and traffic fatalities, Public Citizen claimed late Monday in a lawsuit filed under the Freedom of Information Act in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The nonprofit Center for Auto Safety first requested the documents in March but NHTSA attorneys rejected the request, saying the records were exempt from disclosure.
After a follow-up demand, NHTSA turned over some files but did not release what are believed to be the most important of those requested, claiming the records are “internal briefing documents” not subject to release. Public Citizen's complaint asks the court to order NHTSA to release the records. The analysis stems from a 2003 letter from then-Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta urging governors to take action against hand-held and hands-free cell phones.
The Center for Auto Safety claims the letter was never sent and the study on which it was based was buried. “Driving and talking is as deadly as drinking and driving,” Center executive director Clarence Ditlow said in a statement. “Release of this study will destroy the myth that hands-free cell phones are safe.” To read the complaint, click here. An agency spokeswoman would not comment on the lawsuit.
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