[Written by eDriving's contributing teen writer Amy Tarczynski, who shares some key facts about distracted driving, along with her personal advice for staying focused on the road. Read Amy's last article about getting her drivers license.]
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. This year, especially, road safety ought to be everyone’s top priority. 2016 brought a staggering 40,000 deaths due to car crashes. That’s 14% higher than the 2014 rate (National Safety Council). To stay safe as a driver in 2017, here are some facts worth noting:
Texting is one of the worst distractions for any driver. Nevertheless, 88% of millennial drivers (19-24) admit to engaging in risky behavior such as texting while driving (AAA). It is astonishing how many of us do something that we know is bad. Challenge yourself not to conform to the statistic because it’s your life at stake. Be self-disciplined about putting your phone away, and you’ll be safer for it.
Crashes are not usually caused by a lack of driver ability. In fact, in 19 out of 20 collisions, there’s something that at least one driver could have done to prevent the crash (NHTSA). While it’s easier to see in retrospect how a collision could have been avoided, there’s still plenty you can do to reduce your risk of a car crash before one happens. For example, putting your phone away, keeping focused on the road, and keeping in mind defensive driving techniques, such as the 15 best practices identified in eDriving’s SMART Driving Guide.
As you take caution on slippery roads during any April showers, make your focus your top priority. You can’t control everything when you’re behind the wheel, but you can pay attention. By saying no to distractions–namely, putting away your phone–you keep yourself ready to act when surprises come your way. In fact, if you’re focused on the road, nothing that happens should be a surprise.
This blog post has been published in support of Distracted Driving Awareness Month. To coincide with the campaign, eDriving has launched a new Distracted Driving Center where you can find more facts about distracted driving, take a distracted driving quiz and learn how to drive distraction free.
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