Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety.
Distracted driving is a growing and deadly threat. Too many drivers are ignoring their responsibilities behind the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 3500 people were killed and an estimated 391,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015.
But, because text messaging requires visual, manual and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found in analyzing 2009-2012 data, that even while more than 8 in 10 drivers believed it completely unacceptable for a motorist to text or e-mail behind the wheel, more than a third of those same respondents admitted to reading text messages while driving.
In 46 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, texting while driving is an illegal, ticketable offense.
Speak up. If your friends or family text while driving, tell them to stop. Listen to your passengers; if they catch you texting while driving, and tell you to put your phone away, put it down.
Let’s work together to put a stop to distracted driving, and let’s start with YOU and YOUR influence.