Distracted Driving

1. Distracted Driving Distracted driving isn’t worth the consequences.

2. What is Distracted Driving? • Three main types of distracted driving: • - Visual: taking your eyes off of the road. • - Manual: Taking your hands off of the steering wheel. • - Cognitive: taking your mind off of what you are doing. • Common Distracting Activities: • - Cell phone use - Eating and Drinking • - Talking to passengers - Grooming • - Reading (Including maps) - Navigation systems • - Watching a video - Radio station, CD, or MP3 player • - Daydreaming - Thinking things other than driving

3. Distracted Driving Statistics • So far this year in the U.S., there have been an estimated 279,585 crashes involving drivers using cell phones and texting. • - One occurs about every 30 seconds. • Distracted driving is the major cause of numerous car accidents that resulted in injury or death in the United States. • - 2010 - 2011 • - 416,000 injuries - 387,000 injuries • - 3,267 deaths - 3,331 deaths • Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. • Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. • Sending or receiving a 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.

4. What the Government is Doing • Many states are enacting laws, such as banning texting while driving, or using graduated driver licensing systems for teen drivers, to help raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and to keep it from occurring. • On September 30, 2009 an executive order was issued prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving on government business or with government equipment. • On October 27, 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enacted a ban that prohibits commercial vehicle drivers from texting while driving. • Distraction.gov is the official U.S. Government Website for Distracted Driving. • - On their website, you can find an interactive map that lists a state’s specific laws regarding distracted driving.

5. What Automakers are Doing • Automakers, like Mercedes Benz and Volvo, have recently been developing technologies to prevent car accidents. These also benefit distracted drivers. • The technologies include: • - Lane-guidance Assist that allows the car to follow painted markings on the road. Some of these systems will just warn the driver with a vibration to the steering wheel. • - Active cruise control systems that allow the car to maintain its distance from the car in front and slow the car down to a stop automatically. • - This also allows the car to restart from stationary and even stop for cross traffic. • - These systems use radars, cameras, and sensors to “see” what is in the vicinity of the vehicle.

6. Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving • Use your cell phone for emergency situations only. • If you are drowsy, pull off the road. • You should limit the number of passengers , as well as the activity inside of a car. • Avoid eating while driving. • Do your multi-tasking outside of the car. - Geico Insurance website • Sprint has a texting app called “Drive First” which automatically holds texts and calls while driving • - Uses GPS built into phones to sense if the car is going faster than 10 mph. • - Sprint Website

7. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month While driving this month, remind yourself to stay focused on the road. Its not worth ruining a life for.