DISTRACTED (TEXTING WHILE) DRIVING STAYING FOCUSED BEHIND THE WHEEL

DISTRACTED (TEXTING WHILE) DRIVING

STAYING FOCUSED BEHIND THE WHEEL

What is distracted driving?

Word of the Year 2009: Distracted DrivingDistracted driving – what many are guilty of when they use digital devices on the go – is rapidly entering law books around the world and earns the 2009 Word of the Year choice at Webster’s New World® College Dictionary.

U.S. DOT Definition

Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increases the risk of crashing.

EXAMPLES OF DISTRACTED DRIVING

About 1 million had cell phones in

1987

About 50 million had cell phones in

1997

In 2007, about 250 million had cell

phonesor about 82% of all Americans

DISTRACTED DRIVING…A GROWING PROBLEM

Visual—eyes off the road Manual—hands off wheel Cognitive—mind off the road

PRIMARY FORMS OF DISTRACTION

M

C

VHands free phone

TextingM

C

V

ReachingM

CV

MC

V Radio tuning

“An important finding…is that 80 percent of all crashes…involved the driver looking away from the forward roadway just prior to the <crash>.”

100 – Car Study (DOT HS 810 593)

1

Crash involvement is four times greater

80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes involve some type of distraction

More than 500,000 were injured due to a distracted driver in 2008

6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes that involved distracted or an inattentive driver

Texting while driving is illegal in…

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute

Map of Texting Bans

…and South Dakota*

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute

Map of Texting Bans

*SOUTH DAKOTA LAW

32-24-8. Any person who drives any vehicle upon a highway, alley, public park, recreational area, or upon the property of a public or private school, college, or university carelessly and without due caution, at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger any person or property, not amounting to reckless driving as defined in § 32-24-1, is guilty of careless driving.

SOUTH DAKOTA LAW

Class 2 Misdemeanor

30 days in jail$500 fineOr both

Resources

www.distraction.gov

US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood…

Eliminate Crashes Due to Distraction

ENFORCEMENT

PERSONALRESPONSIBILIT

YEDUCATION

PSA: DON’T TEXT WHILE DRIVING

What You Can Do

Set a good exampleBefore you drive, turn phone off or silence the ringer

Drive defensivelyManage your timeRemember that “driving time” is for driving

Help spread the word

What Law Enforcement Can Do

Avoid texting while driving

Establish policies for your agency

Promote education and training on enforcing existing distracted driving laws

Conduct HVE programs

What Employers Can Do

Establish employee policies

Create a culture of safety

Conduct campaigns to raise awareness

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

See Handouts: Texting Policy Model

Legislation

MODEL LANGUAGE

Something to think about…

Additional Information

http://dps.sd.gov/

www.nhtsa.dot.gov

www.distraction.gov

www.fmcsa.dot.gov

www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov

www.nhtsastatetv.com

www.focusdriven.org

Contact Information

JC Carpenter, Director South Dakota Office of Highway Safety 605-773-3178 james.carpenter@state.sd.us

Mary Damon, Regional Program Manager NHTSA 720-963-3113 mary.damon@dot.gov