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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 [email protected]
Mary Damon, Regional Program Manager NHTSA 720-963-3113 [email protected]