Texas State Wide Injury Prevention Initiative
1
What is distracted driving?
2
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
4
3 Types of Distraction
5
Brain Overload
6
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.
8
How long does texting take your eyes off the road?
9
Texting and driving takes your eyes off the road for an average of 5
seconds at a time.
10
At 55 mph, that equals taking your eyes off the road for
a distance of 300 feet
11
Do Hands-Free Devices Reduce the Risk?
12
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!
14
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
16
17
18
There are two sides to distracted driving
19
20
21
=
22
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.
23
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
24
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)
25
26
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
27
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
28
29
30
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
31