Nine.
Nine seems like a small number until you find out that each day, nine lives are lost due to distracted driving. We all have the power to turn off most distractions, but do we?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015 alone.
During daylight hours, the NHTSA estimates that approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones while driving. These numbers have only increased in 2018, which creates enormous potential for deaths, accidents, and injuries on U.S. roads. Surprisingly, cell phones and texting are just part of the problem when it comes to distracted driving. Other behaviors behind the wheel may also be putting you at risk.
A list of driving distractions may include:
- Dialing or using a smartphone
- Texting
- Eating or drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Grooming
- Reading
- Programming a navigation system such as WAZE or Mapquest
- Adjusting a radio
Did you know that when texting, a driver’s eyes are off the road for an estimated 5.5 seconds? If you are traveling at 55 mph, you have just driven the length of a football field without looking at what’s in front of you.
Let’s choose to put the phone down when we are behind the wheel and educate our family to do the same. (Teens were the largest age group reported as distracted at the time of fatal crashes.)
For more information, visit the NHTSA website.
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