Texting by the Numbers

When you do the math, cell phones and driving just don't add up.

Americans send more than 200 trillion text messages a year,¹ with teens accounting for an average 60 texts a day.²

Unfortunately, many of these communications occur from behind the wheel. That's a scary thought when you consider that texting requires simultaneous manual, visual and cognitive actions – the same ones used for driving your car.

Just how risky is too much technology in your travel? Consider these staggering statistics:

Sending a text takes a driver's eyes off the road an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that's the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field – BLIND! ³

On an average day, 15 people are killed and more than 1,200 injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. ⁴

Forty percent of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. ⁵

Getting on the Road to Distraction-Free Driving

At American Family, we understand these are much more than numbers; these are PEOPLE with whom you share your life and the highway! That's why we're so committed to removing all dangerous distractions from public roadways.

Here are a few tips to get you in the express lane to safety.

• Many states have banned texting while driving and the list will likely grow. No matter where you call home, don't text and drive. In addition to endangering yourself and others on the road, you could be at risk of a hefty ticket.



• Recognize that texting is just one of many distracting activities. Take inventory of your common in-car actions – talking on the phone, eating, drinking, applying makeup, fiddling with the GPS and adjusting the radio, for example – and make a conscious effort to eliminate them.



• When you see a driver becoming distracted, speak up!

For additional safe driving suggestions – and a chance to join the conversation – visit American Family on Facebook this April.