Tom Traub and Kevin Moynihan: Posted on Tuesday, May 02, 2017 5:05 PM
What you think you know about distracted driving
Have you ever texted, talked, fooled around with the radio, or turned to chat with those around you while driving? Should that be the case, you could be exposing yourself, your travel mates, and others using the road to possible harm. The NHTSA says distracted driving was reported in 3,179 accidents that killed people in 2014. These deaths made up for 10% of the total traffic fatalities that year.
From all of these hazards, cellphones and text messaging were the most cited cause of accidents. However, other typical habits, such as using SAT-NAV, drinking and eating, navigating from a map, personal grooming, or even having a conversation from the hands-free system included with your car can be dangerous, too.
Besides the above mentioned hazards to avoid, another couple of things to keep in mind are:
Don’t take notes when you’re driving, even using a voice recorder can be dangerous.
Know where you’re going; Take a look at where you’re headed to on a map before heading out, and if you have a SAT-NAV, don’t program the thing with your destination while you’re driving, do it before you start moving down the road. Also, use the audio features of the SAT-NAV so you don’t have to look at the screen to figure out where to turn next.
Everyone needs to follow these rules and no one more so than teenagers. Car crashes are the primary cause of death for 15 – 20 year olds. Talk to your teens about driving safely, which means practicing good habits, and most importantly being a good role model.
Should you have any questions or concerns let us know and be safe!!