DISTRACTED DRIVING

4 Safe Driving Tips For Teens, Parents

April 18, 2020 by admin 2 Comments

Obtaining a driver’s license is a rite of passage for youngsters, one of the first major life privileges available to teenagers. Teens, however, are considered high-risk drivers with insurance companies charging correspondingly higher rates to reflect that elevated risk.

Safe Driving Tips

Teens and their parents should have a discussion about safe driving practices including the following four tips to help improve their behind-the-wheel skills.

You can help your teen driver by setting the example.

1. Set an Example For Your Teen

You may be entirely comfortable behind the wheel of a car, but your teen likely is not. In fact, he or she may be terrified and part of that terror may have something to do with the way that you drive.Be honest with yourself: if you do not wear your seat belt, have a lead foot and are prone to racing other drivers, these are habits that your teen might pick up. Consider how your driving habits might impact your teen and set the example by always driving responsibly yourself.

2. Supply Extra Behind-the-Wheel Time

Most states require novice drivers to first pass a preliminary test and obtain a permit before they will issue teens a driver’s license. With a permit, teens may only drive a car with a licensed adult present, an individual that can help the youngster learn the rules of the road and hone his or her driving skills.

The more time a parent or other licensed adult spends time with a teen behind the wheel, the more comfortable and confident that new driver will become. You can take this one step further by enrolling your child in a student driving course. Some high schools offer them, while private driving schools are also available. A professional instructor can go over the many nuances of responsible driving including road manners, how to respond in a skid, and other safety factors.

3. Consider Graduated Driving: Mandated or Not

Some states have incorporated graduated driving programs that allow for progressively more privileges as drivers gain experience. In Michigan, for instance, the state requires teens to pass through two segments of driver education instructions and three licensing levels before they are permitted to drive on their own without restriction. Students must maintain a clean driving record and obtain parental approval to advance to a full license. Once the teen turns 18, the graduated driver’s license (GDL) program ends, with full driving rights granted.

Even if your state does not have a GDL program, you can implement one of your own. Talk with your teen about his or her driving privileges and what it takes to gain additional privileges. Avoid your child’s pressure to give him something before he is ready: it may be his life or the life of another person that you save.

4. Remember: Distracted Driving Kills

There is no easy way to say this, but your youngster faces an increased likelihood of serious injury or even death if he or she is distracted while driving. Distracted driving takes the lives of more than 3,300 Americans each year according to the NHTSA. These distractions include texting while driving, personal grooming, eating, watching a video, adjusting the audio system and using the navigation system.

Many states have put laws on the books to restrict or forbid teen use of cell phones while driving. The NHTSA has found that 21 percent of drivers aged 15 to 19 involved in fatal crashes were distracted by the use of cell phones. Regardless of the laws where you live, talk with your teen about distracted driving and insist that they practice the same safe driving habits that you carefully uphold.

The Privilege of Driving

Driving is a privilege and not a right, something that may be lost on many Americans. Your teen should understand the gravity of controlling two tons of machinery and the consequences that poor driving habits can have on himself and others.

See Also — Tips for Teens Buying a First Car

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Driver Safety:
Distracted Driving Awareness

August 14, 2019 by admin 4 Comments

Distracted driving is not just a nuisance, but it is a killer. Indeed, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 3,166 people were killed due to distracted driving in 2017. This figure represents nearly 1 in 10 motor vehicle deaths. Behind the grim statistics are the grieving families and friends suffering because of such callous disregard for others. You can avoid adding to these statistics by incorporating the following driver safety tips as part of your overall distracted driving awareness initiative.

1. Distracted driving defined. Simply put, distracted driving is engaging in any type of activity in addition to driving your vehicle. Typically, this involves using a cell phone or other electronic device while driving. It can also include taking your eyes off the road to fiddle with the audio or navigation systems, playing with your smartphone, turning your head around to talk with a rear-seated passenger, eating and drinking, personal grooming, watching a video, and more. In other words, any type of activity that detracts from your driving should be avoided.

2. General cell phone use. Cell phone use while driving is permitted in some states. Simply because it is allowed does not make it a good thing. According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) drivers who talk on the phone are nearly four times as likely to be involved in a crash than an alert driver.

3. Texting while driving. Although talking while driving is risky in and of itself, there is another cell phone activity that has been proven even more deadly. Specifically, drivers who use their cell phones to text while driving as they are likely to take their eyes off the road for as many as five seconds. When traveling at 55 mph, that’s the equivalent of covering 100 yards (which is the length of a football field) without looking at the road ahead. So much can happen in that time, including another vehicle crossing your path, a bicyclist swerving into your lane or your car drifting into another lane with tragic consequences following.

4. Youth are at a greater risk, but parental behavior also matters. Young people are much more likely to embrace modern technologies than other demographic groups. While this technological edge for young people supplies them with a distinct advantage in life, it also means that they are more likely to engage in distracted driving with these very same technologies. At the same time, research has shown that parents who engage in distracted driving are more likely to have teens that do the same. Further, teens send or receive text messages while driving 26 times more than the rate that their parents think that they do. Therefore, parents, you should set the example so that your teen driver picks up only your good distraction-free driving habits.

5. Know your local laws. Every state, territory, and district sets its own driving laws. Likely, you are very familiar with your state’s laws, especially if you recently took your driver’s test. But those laws vary from state to state with differing degrees of penalties assessed, depending on your age and your activities while driving. For instance, in Colorado, there is a ban on all cell phone use while driving for novice drivers, described as individuals under the age of 18. In New York, that ban extends to all drivers. Moreover, you are not allowed to text while driving in New York. In most states, these restrictions are considered a “primary law.” This means a police officer can pull you over and issue you a ticket for that violation alone. A ticket means a fine, a court appearance, points on your driving record and higher insurance costs.

Distracted Driving Essentials

Even where permitted, research shows that a cognitive distraction takes place whenever a driver engages in a phone conversation while behind the wheel. This includes hands-free phone conversations where the driver’s hands are on the steering wheel and his eyes are on the road. In this example, you are susceptible to missing important visual and audio cues that can help you avoid an accident.

So, how best to handle distracted driving? Simply by avoiding behaviors that can lead to an accident.

For example, if you receive a phone call while driving, do not answer it until you are safely off the road, preferably in a parking lot, at a rest stop or on the shoulder of the highway, if allowed by law. No call is that important where you put yourself, other drivers and pedestrians at risk. You can always allow messages to go to voice mail before finding a safe place to stop and turn off your car before calling or texting that person back. Distracted driving is a killer — avoid adding to these sad statistics.

Notes

Distraction.gov: Facts and Statistics — http://www.distraction.gov/stats-research-laws/facts-and-statistics.html

Virginia Tech: Distracted Driving and Risk of Road Crashes Among Novice and Experienced Drivers — https://www.vtti.vt.edu/PDFs/ndrs-2014/Klauer-2014.pdf

University of Michigan Transportation Safety Institute: http://www.umtri.umich.edu/?id=3197

See Also — Child Heatstroke Dangers and Your Car

Photo attribution: Pixabay (StockSnap).

Solving the Distracted Driving Problem

August 29, 2013 by Kelly Larsen 1 Comment

Texting, changing the radio station, putting on makeup are all fairly simple tasks. When practiced behind the wheel, they become far more complicated and worse they become far more dangerous.

Distracted driving claimed the lives of over 3,000 people in 2011 and, sadly, a figure like this one won’t simply disappear. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) even created a new form of measurement for fatalities resulting from distracted driving, known as “distraction-affected crashes.”

So, how can we get that number down to zero? Awareness plays a big role in accident prevention and with that in mind, read on to find out more about distracted driving behaviors and how you can correct them.

Types of Distraction

There are three types of distraction: visual, cognitive, and manual. Visual distraction is when your eyes are focused on something other than the road or your driving; cognitive distraction is where a driver’s mind is elsewhere while behind the wheel (engaged in conversation with a passenger, daydreaming, etc.); and manual distraction occurs when a driver takes one or both hands off the steering wheel.

There are many actions that fit these individual descriptions when driving, but the most dangerous ones, like texting, involve all three.

distracted driving

Texting While Driving

We live in a multitasking society and for the busy American using a cell phone while driving just makes sense. But, texting from the driver’s seat is one of the riskiest distracted driving practices.

According to the NHTSA, 21 percent of all 15- to 19-year-old distracted drivers involved in fatal accidents were distracted by cell phone use. It can be tempting to reach over and pick up that phone when it rings or buzzes. However, you are protecting your life and the lives of other road users when you avoid this kind of behavior.

How to Avoid It:

Turn off your phone or keep it on silent while driving.
Use a headset if you must talk on the phone; but keep in mind that headsets are not necessarily safer than handheld cell phones when driving.
Download an app on your phone that automatically responds to texts, such as AT&T DriveMode.

Controlling Music Behind the Wheel

2011 Cadillac Escalade drivers lose their focus. In fact, according to a report from the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, adjusting audio controls was the second-highest specific source of distraction for drivers (11.6 percent) in an analysis of national crash data.

How to Avoid It:

Create playlists before getting in the car so you’re not fumbling with your iPod while driving.
Keep the volume steady. Your stereo shouldn’t be blaring anyway, since you need to keep an ear out for ambulance sirens and other surrounding noises. And constantly messing with the volume knob takes your attention away from the task at hand.
Utilize your car’s preset buttons if you want to hop between radio stations. Anything that minimizes the time you spend looking away from the road will help.

Interacting with Passengers

For a lot of drivers, this may not register as a distraction, but even the simple act of talking to others in the same vehicle takes your focus off the road. This is an even bigger issue for newly licensed teen drivers who are relatively inexperienced, and therefore not as talented at multitasking behind the wheel as their parents might be.

distracted driving /general-news/peer-pressure-can-cause-teens-to-crash/”>a study conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm, which analyzed 677 teens who had been involved in serious car crashes, found that male teens driving passengers were six times more likely to carry out an illegal driving maneuver, and more than twice as likely to drive aggressively right before an accident, as do males driving alone.

To combat this negative influence, 47 states, as well as Washington, D.C., have implemented Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws with restrictions on the number of passengers that new drivers may have. Even after these restrictions are lifted, passengers can cause difficulties for drivers.

How to Avoid It:

Ask your passengers to help out. If you are driving somewhere unfamiliar, have them take care of the directions. If your phone rings, let your passenger answer for you.
Stand your ground. As the driver, you’re the one that’s responsible for your passengers. That means ultimately, you decide what’s best when driving.
Be a passenger rather than the driver. If you find it too difficult to focus with passengers in the vehicle, you’re better off hitching a ride than taking the wheel, for everyone’s sake.

Distractions aren’t always avoidable, but they can be managed. And when it comes to driving, where lives are at risk, this becomes an especially important task. So keep your eyes on the road and don’t give in to those distractions!

See Also — How to Keep Children Safe in a Crash

Distracted driving and related photos are copyrighted.

Infotainment: Will Dashboard Internet Access Be Too Distracting?

March 20, 2013 by Doug Climenhaga 2 Comments

Tesla Model S — Cabin interiors, such as found in this Tesla,
come with infotainment systems.

Access to the Internet is more widely available than ever before and the inside of your vehicle is no exception. As cars become capable of displaying more than just simple navigation instructions, will navigation become infotainment? And, will dashboard Internet access be deemed too distracting?

What is Dashboard Internet?

Dashboard Internet is a relatively new car feature. Essentially, it centralizes several features already available in some vehicles, with screens above the gear shift equipped with a fully functional touch-screen PC. Dashboard Internet is a centralized hub for navigation, music, car information, phone calls and more.

These systems allow drivers to get GPS navigation wherever they are; they also provide access to 3D maps and street views. Systems may also allow drivers to call friends, adjust the cars temperature, play music and check fuel levels while driving, using voice commands. While the car is parked, the technology can be used to get location or event information, such as temperature, venue information, business or restaurant reviews and traffic conditions. In addition, drivers can stream videos in their car.

Currently, dashboard Internet is mainly available in luxury vehicles, but over time, it may become standard in most new cars. This means that many consumers will be learning to navigate new, potentially distracting car features.

Infotainment Benefits & Risks

Some people are worried about the potential distraction posed by dashboard iInternet. This new technology creates many of the same risks as existing car features, such as front-seat televisions and GPS navigation systems. The ability to watch videos and get directions while driving is not a new phenomenon, but it takes that to the next level by providing drivers with access to the entire web.

People concerned about safety raise several concerns about this new trend:

Distracted driving is proven to be a factor in many accidents, especially when drivers look away from the road.
Drivers may be too busy pressing buttons and watching the screen to pay attention to road conditions.
Systems may be too elaborate to easily navigate while driving.

On the other hand, manufacturers and consumers counter that dashboard Internet is safe when used correctly because it:

Prevents drivers from having to fumble with maps.
Can be manned by the front seat passenger instead of the driver.
Should be set before the driver hits the road.
Is similar to other devices which have been on the market for a while and are still approved for the road.
Can give voice commands and play videos with sound, meaning drivers don’t need to rely on looking at the screen.
Is often manufactured to restrict access to complex features while the vehicle is in motion.

Personal Judgment

Right now, the verdict is still out on infotainment for the car dashboard. It needs to become more widespread before we’ll have a clear answer. Studies on the subject are being conducted. What is clear, though, is that drivers with dashboard Internet, like all drivers, should exercise good judgment and personal responsibility when using their devices.

Photo courtesy of Tesla Motors.

Entirely Morbid: The CDC Distracted Driving Study

March 18, 2013 by admin 1 Comment

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving remains a significant problem, one that accounted for an estimated 3,311 of the 32,367 traffic fatalities in 2011 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Such distractions are attributed to a number of factors including texting and reading email while driving, occurrences that were tracked by the federal government for the first time beginning in 2010.

Though the overall traffic fatalities death rate continues to fall, death by distracted driving rose by 1.9 percent over 2010. Data for 2012 is expected to be released later this year.

CDC Weekly Report

girl on cellphone The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently conducted its own study of distracted driving and published that information in its appropriately named Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released this month. That study looked at two areas of distracted driving:

1) cell phone use while driving; and

2) reading or sending text or e-mail messages while driving.

The CDC surveyed US drivers aged 18 to 64, and compared American driving habits with a corresponding demographic in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. European data was pulled from 2011 EuroPNStyles and HealthStyles surveys.

Driven to Distraction

What the CDC discovered was startling including:

69 percent of U.S. drivers talked on their cell phone while driving within the 30 days before they were surveyed. In the UK, some 21 percent admitted to doing the same.
31 percent of American drivers reported that they had read or sent text messages or emails while driving. In Spain, 15 percent of drivers reported engaging in the same behavior.
There is virtually no gender gap in the US when it comes to distracted driving, with both sexes just as likely to engage in potentially deadly behavior.
Young people, including drivers that grew up in the digital age, are more likely to drive distracted than more mature individuals. A higher percentage of people aged 25 to 44 have admitted talking on a cell phone while driving than drivers aged 55 to 64. Among the youngest group, 18 to 34 year olds, emailing and texting while driving outpaced drivers aged 45 on up.

Safety Advocate

GPS Driver Melanie Batenchuk, vice president at the BeeKeeper Group, editor of BeCarChic.com and president of the Washington Automotive Press Association weighed in following the reports release. Ms. Batenchuk has been a leading advocate for speaking out against distracted driving, by highlighting the risks to drivers, passengers and pedestrians all.

Said Batenchuk, We have become so accustomed to holding our mobile devices in our hands while doing everything else that using it while driving is almost second nature. We must resist the temptation and challenge ourselves to put the device aside and focus on the drive. That is precisely what the Distraction Free Fridays campaign focuses on – encouraging others to commit to driving without using their mobile devices one day a week. By consciously setting aside one day to drive distraction-free, it makes it easier to say, ‘no’ to those demanding buzzes and pings more often. Batenchuk and Carlos Beltrán coordinate DFF, placing special emphasis on April as part of a Distracted Driving Awareness Month campaign.

Car manufacturers, federal and state governments, mobile phone manufacturers, wireless carriers an industry advocates have teamed up to, implement common-sense solutions that help to keep drivers out of harm’s way, said Batenchuk who also noted how mainstream these devices have become in just the past 10 years. One of the solutions is handsfree integration of cell phones with vehicle infotainment systems, technologies that are now available in mostly every model built today.

At the wheel. — Keep both eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.

Young Drivers Targeted

The CDC notes that a variety of strategies have been used to combat distracted driving in the US and elsewhere with driver education, legislation, technology and communication campaigns each playing a part. Young drivers, given their increased vulnerability, are particularly targeted in the US with 33 states and the District of Columbia now restricting them from cell phone use while driving. Parents, of course, can play a significant role in helping to curb distracted driving with the CDC encouraging families to implement a parent-teen driving agreement in a bid to keep youngsters safe.

There are other ways that policy makers are seeking to save lives. The NHTSA has teamed up with the Ad Council to run TV spots, including one that shows the average texting based distraction is five seconds, or enough time to cover the length of a football field when traveling at 55 mph.

See Also — Solving the Distracted Driving Problem