Video: Portland bus driver caught reading Kindle while driving

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, accidents attributed to distracted driving killed about 5,500 Americans in 2009 alone. That grizzly statistic recently prompted our nation's lawmakers to roll out new regulations prohibiting commercial truck and bus drivers from texting or using cell phones or other electronic devices while driving. Someone should have told the book worm of a municipal bus driver in Portland, Oregon that Amazon's Kindle falls under the "electronic devices" category.

A passenger on the bus captured video of the bus driver, with his e-reader in plain view while motoring down I-5. The first 14 seconds of the video look entirely harmless, until said driver reaches down and appears to turn the page on the device. Later, the driver is caught driving with his elbow, leaning forward for a better look at what must have been a riveting read. If there was ever any doubt why the Department of Transportation is hosting a distracted driving summit this week, hit the jump to watch unnecessary risk-taking at its worst.

[Sources: Guardian, MSNBC]

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