What is Distracted Driving?
Distracted Driving is when a person operates a motor vehicle while engaging in activities that divert attention from driving tasks, such as:
- Talking on a cell phone
- Using a navigation system
- Texting or emailing
- Eating
- Adjusting hair or makeup
- Using the audio system
- Texting
What is Distracted Driving?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Distracted driving is any activity that…takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.” Studies have shown that texting while driving significantly increases the likelihood of a crash or near-crash event. The detrimental effects of distracted driving can range from minor fender-benders to severe accidents resulting in life-altering injuries or fatalities.
Understanding the risks associated with distracted driving and adopting safe driving practices can help mitigate its adverse impacts on road safety and overall public safety.
More information about Distracted Driving
Report of State Safety Laws: PA Gets Failing Grade
The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety have released their annual report card of state safety laws. The report highlights 15 recommended laws regarding occupant protection (seatbelt use, motorcycle helmets) impaired and distracted driving, teen drivers (graduated licensing and age-based restrictions), and child passenger safety.
Best and Worst States for Traffic Safety
The report granted states a green (best), yellow, or red (worst) rating, based on their adoption of recommended optimal traffic safety laws. This year, in a record low, only five states earned a green rating:
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- Washington
- Louisiana
- Oregon
- District of Columbia
Seventeen states were assigned a red rating. The five worst:
- South Dakota
- Wyoming
- Arizona
- Missouri
- Montana
Pennsylvania’s Safety Laws Need Improvement
So how did PA do? […]
Read MoreMore information about Distracted Driving
Feds Urge Smartphone Makers to Help Fight Distracted Driving
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) faces an uphill battle against distracted driving. Deadly car accidents are on the rise, and electronic distractions – apps, social media, and texting behind the wheel – are to blame.
Car accident fatalities are at their highest since 2009, and 2016 has seen a nearly 10% jump over last year. Insurance companies and safety experts point to driver distraction as the most likely culprit. And it’s easy to see why. In a world where we are almost never disconnected from our phones, many smartphone apps are practically designed for use while driving. To see what an epidemic distracted driving has become, simply look to your left or right when stuck at a traffic light, observes Nick Kurczewski at Cars.com. You will more than likely see one of your fellow drivers looking down at their phone. […]
Read MoreMore information about Distracted Driving
Fatal Car Crashes Rise Sharply in 2016
Fatal car crashes are soaring, and the government is scrambling to come up with a way to bring these numbers down.
Nearly 18,000 people have been killed in traffic accidents so far this year, an increase of more than 10% over the same period in 2015. From 2014 to 2015, traffic deaths jumped more than 7%, the largest year-over-year increase since the 1960s. This year’s surge will likely surpass that record.
It’s true that Americans are driving more miles than they did last year (3.3% more), but not enough to account for the increase in crashes.
Road to Zero Fatal Car Crashes
A number of safety groups have come together to form Road to Zero, a coalition aimed at lowering the number of traffic deaths to zero by the year 2046. Their goal is inspired by Swedish policies begun in 1997 that brought crashes down 50% in less than 15 years. […]
Read MoreMore information about Distracted Driving
Traffic Deaths Continue to Rise in 2015, 2016
Traffic deaths in the U.S. are rising at an alarming rate.
In 2015, fatal car crashes increased 7.2% from the previous year. And, preliminary numbers for the first half of 2016 show a 9% increase over the same period last year.
So far this year, more than 19,000 people have lost their lives in car crashes, and an additional 2.2 million have suffered injuries. Given these numbers, the National Safety Council estimates that this year could be the deadliest Labor Day weekend in 8 years.
Why are fatal accidents up so much, and what can we do about it?
On one hand, cars are getting safer. Safety equipment and technology have improved remarkably over the last decade, with many life-saving features now standard on new models. Yet traffic deaths continue to climb.
According to National Safety Council CEO Deborah Hersman, […]
Read MoreMore information about Distracted Driving
Drivers Beware – Pokemon Go is Driving People to Distraction
Pokemon Go is taking over.
If you haven’t already heard, Pokemon Go is an enormously popular new augmented reality gaming app that uses players’ GPS and smartphone camera to allow users to explore their real-life environments to capture virtual creatures. Launched about a week ago, it has already been downloaded by 7.5 million people. It surpassed Tinder as the #1 most downloaded app on iTunes, and is getting more usage time than SnapChat, WhatsApp, and even Instagram.
If distracted driving wasn’t enough of a problem already…
The game has been praised for getting people outside, moving around, and interacting with other users in real life. However, the game can be highly distracting. There have already been reports of people falling, walking into walls, and being robbed while trying to catch Pokemon. Safety officials have issued warnings, urging players to “look up once in a while.” […]
Read More
