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Distracted Driving By the Numbers

At 55 mph, sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for about 5 seconds, long enough to travel the length of a football field. What else do we know about distracted driving?

  • 3166: people killed in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2017 – nearly 9 percent of all motor vehicle deaths
  • 9: people killed each day as a result of crashes involving a distracted driver
  • 16: states prohibit all drivers from using hand-held electronic devices while driving
  • 47: states ban text messaging for all drivers
  • 80: percent of drivers who admit to blatantly hazardous behavior while driving, such as changing clothes, steering with a foot, painting nails, or even shaving.

Listen to your “Top 5”

Each day, we have the majority of our cell phone communication with just five people. According to an AT&T study, 85 percent of people asked said they would stop or reduce smartphone communications while driving if asked by one of their “top 5.” Seventy percent would download an app to block smartphone notifications while driving, if asked by one of their “top 5.”

Changing our driving culture doesn’t require heroic efforts if each of us reach out to those we care about. And if we do, we will make a difference.

  • Categorized in:
  • Transportation Safety
  • Injury Prevention
  • Driver Management