DISTRACTED DRIVING

Distracted driving happens when anything takes your attention away from the road. Even a few seconds of distraction can increase your risk of a crash.

TYPES OF DISTRACTIONS

There are 3 main types of distraction (1):

Visual

Taking your eyes off the road

Manual

Taking your hand off the wheel

Cognitive

Taking your mind off what you’re doing

Every distraction behind the wheel increases the chance of a crash.

WHY IT MATTERS

Cell Phones and Passengers: Risks You Can’t Ignore

Using a phone while driving is one of the most dangerous distractions. Activities such as reaching for a phone, dialing, or texting can triple your risk of being involved in a crash (2).

Texting while driving is especially risky because it:

  • Doubles reaction time
  • Makes it harder to stay in your lane
  • Reduces your ability to maintain a consistent speed (3).

Passengers can also be distracting. Research shows that crash risk increases as the number of young passengers in a vehicle increases. (4).

Stay focused. One distraction is all it takes.

HOW TO PREVENT DISTRACTED DRIVING

  • Make Personal Changes: Start by being honest about your driving habits. Identify distractions that affect your focus and take steps to eliminate them, such as putting your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode or storing it out of reach while driving.
  • Create a Positive Culture: Encourage your friends and family to prioritize safe driving. Set expectations that texting, scrolling, or engaging in other distractions behind the wheel is unacceptable. Hold one another accountable and support safe choices.
  • Support Community Efforts: Learn about local laws and policies related to distracted driving. Consider ways you can support awareness campaigns, advocate for safer practices, or help improve policies that promote road safety.

DOWNLOAD THE YOU IN THE DRIVER SEAT MOBILE APP

The YDS App rewards drivers for consistently exhibiting safe behaviors. Each trip starts with a Driver Score of 100 points, with 20 points being deducted for unsafe behaviors like distracted driving and speeding. Keep your driver score at 100 to earn a Safe Trip badge. Earn rewards for your safe trips over time.

LEARN MORE

Sources

  1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  2. Texas A&M Transportation Institute: https://tti.tamu.edu/news/new-study-says-texting-doubles-a-driver%E2%80%99s-reaction-time/
  3. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Fatality Facts 2021: Teenagers. Retrieved from https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/teenagers#passenger-vehicle-occupants
  4. CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/teen-drivers/risk-factors/index.html