Distraction-free Driving
Keep your eyes – and mind – on the road ahead.
Activities that divert your attention from driving – including texting, talking, eating, drinking and even changing radio stations – can result in crashes that injure or kill.
In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in just one year, more than 5,000 people died and another 448,000 were injured by distracted drivers.
Here are some ways you can help make the roads safer for everyone.
Stay Off the Phone While Driving
Keeping a cell phone in your vehicle is a smart move in case of a breakdown or emergency, but talking while driving is risky. It can increase your crash risk fourfold, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).
Even hands-free devices pose risks. A study by Carnegie Mellon University found that operating a motor vehicle while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent. Talking makes drivers miss the important visual and audio cues that would ordinarily help avoid a crash.
In fact, more than 50 research studies have shown that using phones while driving is dangerous to everyone on the road, according to the NSC.
Don’t Text and Drive
If you’re one of the millions who text and drive, think about this next time you’re tempted: According the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent – at 55 mph – of driving the length of an entire football field – blind! USDOT research also shows those who text and drive are 23 times more likely to crash.
Pull Over First!
If you need to use your cell phone, or send or read a text, safely pull off the road first. Keep the law in mind too. Thirty-five states ban text messaging for all drivers. And nine states prohibit the use of handheld cell phones while driving.
Additional Distracted Driving Resources
For more information about limiting distracted driving, visit these sites:
- National Safety Council – Research studies, public education, laws.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Statistics, personal stories, state laws, tips for parents, teens, educators and employees.
