Itasca, IL – The National Safety Council praises U.S.Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for his leadership in addressing the dangers of distracted driving, including text messaging behind the wheel.

Secretary LaHood announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Transportation will host a distracted driving summit in late September, convening senior transportation officials, elected officials, safety advocates, law enforcement representatives and academics to foster solutions to this pressing national problem.

In January, the NSC became the first national organization to call for a total ban on cell phone use while driving.

“We thank Secretary LaHood for his strong leadership on this issue and look forward to participating in the summit and helping in any way possible,” said Janet Froetscher, NSC President & CEO. “While we are beginning to see state laws that prohibit some forms of distracted driving, the problem is growing at an exponential rate and will take a cooperative effort by a variety of safety advocates to address. The summit is a great beginning and will set us on a positive course.”

The National Safety Council (nsc.org) saves lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the roads through leadership, research, education and advocacy.