Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving

1
Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving
2
Introduction

• 80 of crashes and 65 of near crashes involved
  some sort of driver distraction.
• Teens are 4x more likely to be in a wreck than
  drivers over age 30.

3
DWT Driving while texting

• An average person takes their eyes off of the
  road 10 of the time. That jumps to 40 when
  texting while driving.
• Texting means a 400 increase in the amount of
  time that your eyes are off the road.

4
DWT Driving while texting

• 140 increase in lane violations while texting.
• Many states are now banning texting while
  driving. Fines are as high as 101 per text in
  some states.

5
Driving While Using Your Cell Phone

• Talking on your cell phone while driving is the
  most common distraction drivers face.
• In many states it is already illegal to use cell
  phones while driving.
• In a recent survey, 73 of drivers surveyed
  admitted to using their cell phones while
  driving.
• Drivers who use their cell phones while driving
  are 4x more likely to be in an accident.

6
DWE Driving While Eating

• 10 Chocolate. Whatever you touch gets sticky,
  drivers instinctive reactions are to clean and
  that is distracting.
• 9 Soft Drinks. Open containers can cause a lack
  of driver concentration when spilled.

7
DWE Driving While Eating,continued

• 8 Jelly and Cream Filled Doughnuts. Drivers
  become more focused on the messy jelly oozing out
  than driving.
• 7 Fried Chicken. Greasy hands are a distraction
  as drivers try to clean them. Plus, grease is
  almost impossible to clean off of a steering
  wheel.

8
Driving While Eating, continued

• 5 Hamburgers. Dripping condiments, special
  sauces and greasy meat drip out of the bun and
  onto your shirt. The 5 Hamburger becomes 500 -
  5,000 worth of repairs.
• 6 BBQ. BBQ sauce is messy. Remember If it
  drips, dont eat it while driving.

9
Driving While Eating, continued

• 4 Chili. Anything containing chili such as a
  chili dog is dangerous. Steering chili to your
  mouth while steering your car requires more
  dexterity than humans possess.
• 3 Tacos. This food can disassemble itself. One
  good road bump and the seat of your car looks
  like a salad bar.

10
Driving While Eating, continued

• 2 Hot soups. Eating soup while driving is like
  attempting a juggling act.
• 1 Coffee. Coffee spills are the worst because
  drivers try to make immediate clean up while
  still driving. Hot coffee can also cause serious
  burns that divert a drivers focus away from the
  road.

11
Sleepy Driving
12
Sleepy Driving

• 100,000 reported crashes per year as a result of
  drowsiness. 1,500 of them result in deaths.
• 55 of those crashes were caused by drivers under
  the age of 25.
• Some states are requiring that sleep deprived
  drivers that cause accidents that kill someone be
  charged with vehicular homicide.

13
Sleepy Driving,continued

• Fall asleep for 2.5 seconds going 70 MPH and you
  just traveled the length of a football field
  while sleeping.
• Being awake for 18 hours has the same effect on
  your driving as being legally drunk.

14
How Tired is Too Tired? Are you at risk for a
sleepy driving crash? Factors to consider.

• 6 Hours of sleep or less triples your risk.
• Pull over and take a nap if you
• 1. Have trouble keeping your eyes open.
• 2. Are frequently blinking or yawning.
• 3. Are feeling restless or irritable.
• 4. Are having trouble remembering the last few
  miles youve driven.

15
Driving While Impaired
16
Driving While Impaired

• 28 of drivers age 15-20 that were in accidents
  had been drinking.
• 39 of all fatal crashes involved alcohol.

17
Driving While Impairedcontinued

• During the last 30 days, 28.5 of high school
  students admitted to riding in a car driven by
  someone who had been drinking alcohol.
• Driving while impaired slows your reaction time.

18
Distracted Driving Changing the Radio, Talking
to your Friends, Putting on Makeup, etc.

• Driver inattention is the leading factor in
  crashes.
• 45 of teen drivers killed in car accidents have
  a friend in the car with them.
• Changing the radio, talking to your friends
  and/or putting on makeup etc. all take your
  attention off the road.

19
Wrap-up

• Reducing or eliminating as many distractions as
  possible can reduce your risk of being in a motor
  vehicle accident.

20
Wrap-up

• The person calling your cell phone can wait, the
  radio doesnt need to be changed until you reach
  a stop light, your makeup looks great, and you
  can catch up with your friends when you arrive at
  your destination.

21
What to do after an accident

• Seek Medical Attention
• Contact the Police
• Get the Facts of Your Car Accident
• Contact Your Insurance Company
• Consult a car accident lawyer