Avoiding Distracted Driving Accidents

According to the National Highway Transportation Association distracted driving accidents result in over 3,000 deaths, 280,000 injuries, and $129,000 billion in losses every year on average.

Taking your eyes off the road for 5 seconds at 55 mph means that you are driving blindfolded in a 2 ton vehicle for the length of a football field.

Key Practices

Take a minute to prepare before starting to drive to eliminate distractions. Then, avoid distractions while driving.

• Program your GPS first and make sure that it’s secure.
  
• Make any necessary calls before leaving. Then, avoid taking calls while driving.
  
• Secure computers, cases, or other objects so that they don’t move.
  
• If something drops, leave it until you can park.
  
• Ask passengers to help.

Prepare — Focus on Driving — Arrive Safely

Key Facts

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the three main types of driving distractions are:

• Visual — taking your eyes off the road
  
• Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
  
• Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re doing