Texas State Wide Injury Prevention Initiative

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What is distracted driving?

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Distracted Driving

Driving while engaged in any activity that could divert a

persons attention away from the primary task of driving

Source: Distraction.gov/NHTSA3

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3 Types of Distraction

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Brain Overload

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Those that text while driving are 23 times more likely

to be in a crash

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (www.vtti.vt.edu/)7

When drivers read or send a text message, their

reaction time is doubled.

When asked to respond to a flashing light while

texting behind the wheel, drivers were more than 11 times more likely to miss

the light altogether.

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How long does texting take your eyes off the road?

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Texting and driving takes your eyes off the road for an average of 5

seconds at a time.

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At 55 mph, that equals taking your eyes off the road for

a distance of 300 feet

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Do Hands-Free Devices Reduce the Risk?

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Teen Driver Survey Findings:

97% of teens say texting while driving is dangerous, but 43% admit to doing so

Almost all teens (9 in 10) expect a reply to a text or email within 5 minutes or less, which puts pressure on them to respond while driving

According to 77% of teens, adults tell kids not to text or email while driving – yet adults do it themselves “all the time”.

Source: ATT “It Can Wait” Campaign13

You have Power!

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You have power!

• Acknowledge the behavior• Without being confrontational, let the

driver know your concerns• Suggest that the driver pull over to a safe

location to check texts or listen to voice mails• As a passenger, offer to share responsibility

so that the driver does not drive distracted15

Speak up for your safety

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There are two sides to distracted driving

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Teen Driver Survey

Teens uniformly know that texting while driving is dangerous (97% say it is dangerous, including 75% who say it is very dangerous), however only 70% of Teens say that texting while stopped at a red light is dangerous, with only 33% saying it is very dangerous.

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FACTCar accidents are the number one cause of teen

deaths, killing more than 3,500 per year and seriously injuring over 400,000 of teens

Texting and distracted driving is a factor in 8 out of 10 accidents, and young drivers have the highest distracted driving fatality rate of all age groups

Over 50% of teens admit to texting while driving because they do not believe it is dangerous

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Did you know…

• Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 39 states and the District of Columbia

• Novice drivers are banned from texting in 5 states (Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and TEXAS)

• School bus drivers are banned from text messaging in 3 states (Mississippi, Oklahoma and TEXAS)

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Do you know Texas law?

Hand held ban Young drivers all cellphone ban

Bus drivers all cellphone ban

Texting ban Enforcement

Drivers in school crossing zones

Drivers younger than 18

Bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present

Bus drivers when a passenger 17 and

younger is present; drivers in school crossing zones; drivers younger

than 18

Primary

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Although we have enforcement of cell phone usage among

some driver populations….

We need more to help reduce the number of

injuries from this deadly behavior

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“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

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