Transportation officials, safety advocates and federal and state regulators have uniformly railed -- in a rising crescendo of voices -- against the evils of distracted driving over the past year.

The National Transportation Safety Board ("NTSB") is taking a turn this week, with statements just made by Chairwoman Deborah Hersman in the wake of the Board's investigatory findings concerning a tragic boating accident that occurred in the Delaware River last July.

That accident took place because a tugboat officer -- the first mate, tasked with steering the vessel -- was so engaged with his cell phone and laptop that he failed to see a tourist boat stranded in the river. A nearly football-field-long barge being pushed by the tug slammed into the smaller boat, killing two of its passengers.

Hersman said that the accident pointed to a perplexing and growing problem across the country. "This accident is not just about one individual's actions, but about a new and highly troubling societal norm," she said, noting the proliferation of stories concerning distracted drivers on roadways, in airplanes and on the country's waters.

The first matte -- as well as another crew member who was texting immediately before the accident -- was in clear violation of the tugboat company's rules against using electronic devices while working.

Distracted driving "is becoming the new DUI," said NTSB member Robert Sumwalt, who added that, "We're going to have to make changes in society."

Related Resource: Philadelphia Inquirer, "NTSB blames distracted operators in Ride the Ducks accident" June 22, 2011