April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

I was reading an article today from the Insurance Journal and was reminded that April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on our roadways in California and throughout the United States. In 2011 alone, over 3,000 people were killed in distraction related crashes, which accounts for 10 percent of all car crashes, according to a recent study and articles I read during my research.

 

 An analysis of data looked at from 2010 to 2011 showed police listed the majority of drivers, about 60 percent, who were distracted due to being “lost in thought”.  This is compared to 12 percent who said they were distracted because they were using a phone to text or make a call. Interesting, however that the 30 to 39 year olds had the highest proportion of cell phone involvement. I found this most disturbing, because if we want our children to drive safely and not distracted, then we must show them how it is done.

Did you know?

Ø  Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.

Ø  Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted.

 

 

Ø  Sending or receiving text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.

It’s time for us to make a difference and recognize that distracted driving has lasting consequences – the victims who survived a crash; parents who have lost their children, children who have lost parents or siblings; wives, husbands, and friends who have lost loved ones; and law enforcement and emergency personnel who are first on the scene at these horrific crashes.

Let us remember the next time we allow an activity, whatever it might be, to take our eyes off the road, our hands off the wheel, or our mind off of driving in a safe manner it could be our last.

Join Pacific Preferred Insurance Agency as we take a pledge to educate all drivers on the dangers of distracted driving. Your pledge just might save a life and that's worth it, right?!