Understand and avoid the risks of Distracted Driving

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the U.S. We would also like to share some info on this Campaign and share some facts on the dangers of Distracted Driving:

National Distracted Driving Awareness Month was introduced as a resolution in 2010 by former Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO) and passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in a 410-2 vote on March 23, 2010. The resolution mentions 9-year-old Erica Forney, who was struck and killed by a distracted driver in Fort Collins, CO, in November 2008. Erica’s mother, Shelley Forney, is a founding board member of FocusDriven – Advocates for Cell-free Driving.

Facts on Distracted Driving:

Ensuring the safety of all motorists on the roadways is the responsibility of every driver, and safe driving involves more than having two hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. The mind also must be focused on driving.

Consider the facts:

• Hands-free devices do not eliminate cognitive distraction – the distraction to the brain
• Cognitively distracted drivers can miss up to 50% of their driving environment, including stop signs, pedestrians and red lights
• Nearly 25% of all crashes involve drivers distracted by cell phones
• Drivers talking on cell phones –handheld or hands-free – are four times as likely to crash
• Drivers who text increase their likelihood of a crash by 8 to 23 times

Change the culture and curb cell phone use while driving:

• Make a personal commitment to drive cell free
• Research existing technology that prevents cell phone use while driving by holding your calls and messages and delivering them when you are finished driving
• Turn your phone off or put it on silent while driving so you are not tempted to answer it
• Speak up when you are in the car with someone who uses a cell phone while driving – ask if you can do it for them, or if it can wait
• Change your voicemail message to reflect that you are either away from your phone or driving, and that you’ll call back when you can do so safely
• If you are talking to someone who you know is driving, tell him/her to hang up and call you later

Want to do more?

• Contact your elected officials and ask for their immediate and sustained support for cell phone legislation

Take the IMPERIAL I-Pledge at www.ipledge.co.za

Also view:

Latest Research on Distracted Driving

We would like to urge drivers to also view:

Texting and Distracted Driving

Avoiding Distractions While Driving

Texting while driving hurting the car insurance industry