Safety Tips For All Drivers
The ATA was in Arlington, Virginia today, promoting safety behind the wheel and focusing on distraction-related injuries and deaths. Cell phones are to blame for many distraction related injuries and deaths. The ATA is hoping to bring awareness to others on the dangers of driving while operating a phone.
In 2012, more than 3,300 people were killed and another 421,000 were injured in distraction-related crashes. In order to reverse this trend, elite drivers are educating the motoring public on how to save lives while driving on our nations’ roads.
America’s Road Team Captains, professional truck drivers selected for their impressive driving records and commitment to safety, are educating motorists on the dangers of distracted driving. Distracted driving comes in many forms. It can include electronic distractions, like navigation systems and cell phones, or more conventional distractions, like interacting with passengers and eating.
Did You Know?
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Writing or reading a text message takes your eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 MPH, that’s like driving the length of a football field – blindfolded.
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If you text while you’re behind the wheel, you’re 20 times more likely to be involved in a crash than a non-distracted driver.
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Talking on a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity devoted to driving by 37%.
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41 states, the District of Columbia and Guam ban text messaging for all drivers.
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12 states and the District of Columbia prohibit hand-held cell phone use by all drivers.
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Young people are especially at risk: In 2011, 11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
Safety Tips:
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Stay Focused – Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road at all times. One small distraction can cause an accident.
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Put Electronics Away – Put your cell phone away, as well as all electronics, while behind the wheel. Nothing is more important than getting to your destination safely.
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Plan Your Trip – Plan your route ahead of time so you aren’t distracted looking at a map or navigation system. Pay attention to highway signs and traffic.
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Be Aware of Blindspots – Trucks have large blindspots in front, back and either side. Try to avoid lingering in this space and do not cut in front of a truck.
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Be a Good Passenger – Speak up if the driver in your car is distracted.
“Motorists need to take responsibility for safety as they navigate our roadways and keep their eyes on the road,” said America’s Road Team Captain Eddie Weeks, a professional driver with AAA Cooper Transportation. “Putting cell phones away, planning your trip and keeping your eyes on the road will save lives.”
The ATA did a great job with these stats and kudos to them all for bringing needed awareness. Think about it, over 400,000 injured and deaths due to distraction-related incidents. We’re lucky we don’t see double, triple the deaths. Safety is important to us all, truck driving and any other type of driving that involves a vehicle. It doesn’t take much for accidents to happen, please be safe. Let’s teach our children to do the same.
Source: ATA
