Watch the Road | Road Test IQ

Think you're smart about avoiding distractions and driving safely with consumer electronics? Take our 10-question road safety quiz. Can you score a perfect 10? See how your results compare with other respondents. Good luck!

True or False: As long as the driver isn't watching, it's safe to show movies on in-dash video screens while traveling.

False: Front seat video screens must be equipped with an interlock that prevents the display of business- or entertainment-related sources in a moving vehicle. Laws governing mobile-video-screen use do vary by state. In fact, there are at least 38 states that regulate the use or placement of televisions in motor vehicles. To see what your state says, check out the Road Rules section of the site.
True or False: An in-dash video monitor used for navigation, or for rear or side observation (e.g., rear-view camera) can be installed and used in the front-seat area.

True: Just make sure the device has a mechanism that won’t allow you to view video entertainment or business-related information while the vehicle is in motion. Additionally, most rear or side observation devices, such as a rearview camera, also use a reverse-trigger wire that engages the camera only when the vehicle is placed into reverse.
True or False: Eating or drinking while driving is not a major cause of driver distraction.

False: Safety experts say that doing anything while driving can divert your attention and contribute to involvement in an accident. Insurers cite studies showing eating and drinking as the most common distractions while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that distraction occurs when drivers look away from the road, are mentally preoccupied, or take their hands off the steering wheel. Bottom line, something as simple as talking to a passenger can be considered a distraction. It’s also important to keep in mind that some activities are carried out more often and for longer periods of time, which results in greater risk.
True or False: Currently, there are federal laws governing the use of mobile devices, such as a GPS navigation system, while the vehicle is in operation.

False: As of May 2007, the federal government has not passed legislation on the distracted driving issue.
True or False: The NHTSA can write laws governing the use of in-car devices but not cell phones.

True: Under federal law, NHTSA can regulate "motor vehicle equipment" that poses a safety risk. But cell phones, or other devices brought into the vehicle, don’t fall in that category. That’s why all laws governing cell phone use have been enacted at the local and state level.
True or False: An employer can be held civilly liable for crashes caused by an employee's use of a cell phone while driving.

True: Under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer may be held vicariously liable for acts of their employees that are committed during the course of employment. Several cases have tested this doctrine as it applies to cellphone use by employees who use their phones in the course of employment while driving their vehicles.
True or False: The alleged involvement of devices in motor vehicle crashes also has been the subject of several criminal cases.

True: In 2004, Alaska prosecutors charged a driver with second-degree murder for an accident they say was caused by a DVD player. Prosecutors accused the driver of watching a movie while operating his truck, causing him to swerve across the road and kill two occupants of another vehicle. The driver, who was issued murder charges based on the theory that he knowingly engaged in conduct that showed extreme indifference to human life, was acquitted at trial. He claimed that he was merely adjusting his CD player at the time of the crash.
True or False: Driver distraction only accounts for a small percentage of accidents each year.

False: Each year, more than 42,000 people are killed and more than three million are injured in more than six million motor vehicle crashes on the nation’s roads. NHTSA estimates that driver distraction is a contributing cause of 20-30 percent of all motor vehicle crashes - or 1.2 million accidents. One researcher estimated that driver inattention may cause as many as 10,000 deaths each year and approximately $40 million in damages.
True or False: Most politicians really aren't concerned about driver distraction, and most states aren't even considering legislation on the issue.

False: Since 1999, every state in the union has considered legislation related to driver distraction. In 2004 alone, legislatures in 33 states considered bills, and legislators in at least 39 states had proposed driver distraction legislation as of June 2005.
True or False: Currently, there is no state, city, or other legal jurisdiction with an outright ban on the use of cell phones while driving.

False: As of May 2007, four states (California, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey) plus the District of Columbia have enacted an outright ban on cell phones while driving (except while using a hand-free device).

	Think you're smart about avoiding distractions and driving safely with consumer electronics? Take our 10-question road safety quiz. Can you score a perfect 10? See how your results compare with other respondents. Good luck! True or False: As long as the driver isn't watching, it's safe to show movies on in-dash video screens while traveling. *False: Front seat video screens must be equipped with an interlock that prevents the display of business- or entertainment-related sources in a moving vehicle. Laws governing mobile-video-screen use do vary by state. In fact, there are at least 38 states that regulate the use or placement of televisions in motor vehicles. To see what your state says, check out the Road Rules section of the site. True or False: An in-dash video monitor used for navigation, or for rear or side observation (e.g., rear-view camera) can be installed and used in the front-seat area. True: Just make sure the device has a mechanism that won’t allow you to view video entertainment or business-related information while the vehicle is in motion. Additionally, most rear or side observation devices, such as a rearview camera, also use a reverse-trigger wire that engages the camera only when the vehicle is placed into reverse. True or False: Eating or drinking while driving is not a major cause of driver distraction. False: Safety experts say that doing anything while driving can divert your attention and contribute to involvement in an accident. Insurers cite studies showing eating and drinking as the most common distractions while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that distraction occurs when drivers look away from the road, are mentally preoccupied, or take their hands off the steering wheel. Bottom line, something as simple as talking to a passenger can be considered a distraction. It’s also important to keep in mind that some activities are carried out more often and for longer periods of time, which results in greater risk. True or False: Currently, there are federal laws governing the use of mobile devices, such as a GPS navigation system, while the vehicle is in operation. False: As of May 2007, the federal government has not passed legislation on the distracted driving issue. True or False: The NHTSA can write laws governing the use of in-car devices but not cell phones. True: Under federal law, NHTSA can regulate "motor vehicle equipment" that poses a safety risk. But cell phones, or other devices brought into the vehicle, don’t fall in that category. That’s why all laws governing cell phone use have been enacted at the local and state level. True or False: An employer can be held civilly liable for crashes caused by an employee's use of a cell phone while driving. True: Under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer may be held vicariously liable for acts of their employees that are committed during the course of employment. Several cases have tested this doctrine as it applies to cellphone use by employees who use their phones in the course of employment while driving their vehicles. True or False: The alleged involvement of devices in motor vehicle crashes also has been the subject of several criminal cases. True: In 2004, Alaska prosecutors charged a driver with second-degree murder for an accident they say was caused by a DVD player. Prosecutors accused the driver of watching a movie while operating his truck, causing him to swerve across the road and kill two occupants of another vehicle. The driver, who was issued murder charges based on the theory that he knowingly engaged in conduct that showed extreme indifference to human life, was acquitted at trial. He claimed that he was merely adjusting his CD player at the time of the crash. True or False: Driver distraction only accounts for a small percentage of accidents each year. False: Each year, more than 42,000 people are killed and more than three million are injured in more than six million motor vehicle crashes on the nation’s roads. NHTSA estimates that driver distraction is a contributing cause of 20-30 percent of all motor vehicle crashes - or 1.2 million accidents. One researcher estimated that driver inattention may cause as many as 10,000 deaths each year and approximately $40 million in damages. True or False: Most politicians really aren't concerned about driver distraction, and most states aren't even considering legislation on the issue. False: Since 1999, every state in the union has considered legislation related to driver distraction. In 2004 alone, legislatures in 33 states considered bills, and legislators in at least 39 states had proposed driver distraction legislation as of June 2005. True or False: Currently, there is no state, city, or other legal jurisdiction with an outright ban on the use of cell phones while driving. False*: As of May 2007, four states (California, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey) plus the District of Columbia have enacted an outright ban on cell phones while driving (except while using a hand-free device).