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Learn more from the National Safety Council.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on America’s Highways.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) distraction plays a key role in over 3,000 road deaths and injuries each year. Distracted driving crashes are crashes in which drivers lose focus on the safe control of their vehicle due to manual, visual or cognitive distraction.
Avoid distracted driving. Do not:
- Text and drive
- Talk on the phone
- Focus on children in the backseat
- Play with your GPS while your car is in motion
- Look at the scenery on the side of the road
- Engage in heated discussions with passengers
- Listen to overly loud music
- Look at people on the sidewalk
- Daydream or get caught up in your thoughts
- Read billboards
- Play games on mobile devices
- Adjust settings for technology used in your car
- Reach for items in the car
- Slow down to look at a crash scene
- Brush your hair and put on makeup
- Eat and drink
Driving While Fatigued
Fatigue-related crashes are most common in very early morning hours and mid-afternoon.
The risk increases when driving long distances or on monotonous roads. The chance of serious or fatal injuries increases due to slower driver response time.
Symptoms of driver fatigue include frequent yawning, drifting in and out of a lane, varying speed for no reason, misjudging traffic situations, daydreaming, feeling irritable or fidgety, or not remembering the last few miles of the trip.
Avoid driver fatigue:
- Stop at least every 2 hours on long trips
- Get out of the vehicle regularly; Stretch and walk when possible
- Plan overnight stay on long trips
- Eat light snacks or meals at rest stops
- Switch drivers and rest while not driving
- Take 20-45 minute “power naps”
- Avoid driving during hours you normally sleep
- Do not drink alcoholic beverages
Please share this message with everyone you care about.
Distracted and fatigued driving kills and injures thousands of people each year.
According to a recent survey by the National Highway Traffic Administration, two out of 10 American drivers overall — and half of drivers between 21 and 24 — say they’ve texted or emailed from the driver’s seat, despite laws in many states that prohibit it. At any given moment last year on America’s streets and highways, nearly one in every 100 car drivers was texting, emailing, surfing the Web or otherwise using a hand-held electronic device, the safety administration said. Those activities were up 50% over the previous year. Most drivers surveyed don’t think it’s dangerous when they do it, only when others do.
THE FIGHT TO END DISTRACTED AND FATIGUED DRIVING STARTS WITH YOU.
TAKE THE PLEDGE TODAY.
I pledge to:
- Protect lives by never driving while distracted or fatigued
- Encourage friends and family to drive safely
- Be a safety-minded passenger and speak out if the driver of your vehicle is not focused
Signature ______________________________________________ Date _______________________