Our Take On Distracted Driving – And It is Right to the Point
Let’s just get to it. Let’s not soft pedal this issue. Here are some alarming statistics from Selective Insurance:
- Each day in the United States, approximately 9 people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in crashes that involve a distracted driver.
- During daylight hours, approximately 481,000 drivers are using cell phones while driving.
- 9% of drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash.
- Hand-held cell phone use while driving is highest among 15- to 29-year-old drivers.
- Distracted Driving KILLED 3,450 people in 2016.
- Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving blind at 55-mph for the length of an entire football field.
Texting while driving is as serious as driving while intoxicated. Don’t text while you drive.
Tell your teenagers not to text while they drive. Teach them about the dangers. Scare them if you must because motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers.
Six teens die each day from motor vehicle injuries.
And! One of the most troublesome aspects of driving distracted is: Despite motorists’ understanding of its dangers, many do it regardless.
Let’s protect our teenagers from driving while distracted – not just by their cell phones, but by other distractions. Here are some tips:
- Reduce the number of passengers you allow your teenager to have in the car; this will lower the distractions.
- Encourage your teenagers to turn their phones off, use an app to block notifications, or give their phones to a passenger while driving.
- Get your teenagers in the habit of choosing what music will be played for the entire trip; tell them not to change the station or playlist while driving.
- Set an example! Do not let your teenager see you texting and driving, or participating in any other distracted driving dangers.
- Do not call or text your children when you know they are driving.
- Teach your children the importance of pulling over when it’s essential to use their device.
- Set rules that have consequences if they are not followed. Driving is a privilege and that privilege can be taken away.
- Explain the laws to your teenager and outline the legal consequences if the laws are broken.
- Show your teen videos about distracted driving and share scary statistics. Yes. Like we said before, scare them.
Stay safe, Friends.