Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving:

Why you could be paying more for auto insurance.

An NHTSA survey found that 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving at any given moment. On average, each distracted drive used their electronic device for 4 minutes each time. If a driver is traveling 40 mph, they will travel 2.66 miles in 4 minutes. It's also researched that 94% of vehicle crashes are caused by a driver error. 74% of the time a driver is using Facebook while distracted driving. In fact, some studies have found that the human brain is distracted by the conversation, not necessarily by using a "hands free" device. While 80% of drivers believe "hands free" devices are safer than hand-held. Drivers that talk on phones, hand-held or hands free, miss up to 50% of what is going on around them including other drivers, pedestrians, and bicycles.

The bottom line is that distracted driving is dangerous. Here are a few tips to be an attentive driver:

1. Turn your phone off. Place it in your glove compartment, purse, or trunk.

2. Send or read texts and mail before you start driving. Long trip? Schedule breaks to stop, park safely, and respond to messages.

3. Program your GPS before you put the car in drive. Find a safe area to pull over and adjust your navigation.

4. Social media can wait. No tweet, status updates, or picture is worth a life.

5. Emergency texts aren't an exception. If you must respond during your trip, pull over to a safe area first.

6. Think of others. Don't call or text friends and family if you know they're driving.