Outside of our homes and offices, where do we spend the most time? If you are a parent, that answer might very well be your car. Whether you are driving to work, dropping off kids at school, or hustling to make soccer practice and ballet lessons, time in the car is time on the road. And sometimes the car next to you is being driven by a distracted driver.
What IS “distracted driving”? Sometimes it makes more sense to find times when we aren’t distracted by all sorts of things: the conversation in the car, changing the music on the iPod, answering the phone, using GPS, or even handing a toy into the backseat. All of these distractions happen every day to most of us. But the things we don’t always remember to account for are the distractions that other drivers are experiencing—this could be as simple as reaching for something fallen in the floor, or as tragic as drunk driving. Add all those distractions together and you have a recipe for an accident. The good news is that MOST accidents are completely avoidable!
“The National Safety Council estimates that at least 24% of all traffic crashes- or 1.3 million accidents per year- involve drivers using cell phones and texting. These cellphone related crashes result in 3,200 deaths and almost half a million injuries per year.” [ORIGO Website, 2014]
In 2013, we surveyed teens in the Roanoke Valley about texting and driving. A total of 94% of teens between 18-20 years old said that “texting and driving” was a major problem among their peers. And when teens are 4xs as likely to be involved in an auto accident, that is one very strong reason to speak to your new teen driver about “hands free” policy—no texting, no phone calls, just eyes on the road!
“Texting takes the driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 MPH, this is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field while blindfolded (VTTI)” [ORIGO, 2014] Read more HERE
But no matter how hard we try to anticipate other drivers and what they may do, we have to be alert and ready in all scenarios. A roadway empty of cars is no guarantee that the road is hazard free. We live in Virginia after all—deer often make a surprise appearance! Be alert, be ready.
So, what can we do as parents and drivers to make the roadways safer?
- Take the Family Pledge: keep a “hands free” policy
- Talk to your teen driver about the laws and your own personal rules: set limits on using the phone and iPod in the car, and always ensure that they keep to the permitted number of passengers. New dashboard technology is available through ORIGO that prevents drivers from accessing their phone while driving. For more information visit ORIGO.
- Play “I Spy” games that reinforce paying attention to the cars and traffic signs around you. Games make learning fun for younger kids!
- Remember that kids are always watching! Model the behaviors you want your young child to have.
- Keep up to date on the vehicle safety ratings—after all, we can’t control other drivers. But we can make informed decisions about our vehicles. Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for more information about this year’s safety ratings.
Drive Safely!
