Texas State Wide Injury Prevention Initiative 1

What is distracted driving? 2

Distracted Driving Driving while engaged in any activity that could divert a persons attention away from the primary task of driving Source: Distraction.gov/NHTSA 3

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3 Types of Distraction 5

Brain Overload 6

Those that text while driving are 23 times more likely to be in a crash Virginia Tech Transportation Institute ( 7

When drivers read or send a text message, their reaction time is doubled. When asked to respond to a flashing light while texting behind the wheel, drivers were more than 11 times more likely to miss the light altogether. 8

How long does texting take your eyes off the road? 9

Texting and driving takes your eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds at a time. 10

At 55 mph, that equals taking your eyes off the road for a distance of 300 feet 11

Do Hands-Free Devices Reduce the Risk? 12

Teen Driver Survey Findings:  97% of teens say texting while driving is dangerous, but 43% admit to doing so  Almost all teens (9 in 10) expect a reply to a text or within 5 minutes or less, which puts pressure on them to respond while driving  According to 77% of teens, adults tell kids not to text or while driving – yet adults do it themselves “all the time”. Source: ATT “It Can Wait” Campaign 13

You have Power! 14

You have power! Acknowledge the behavior Without being confrontational, let the driver know your concerns Suggest that the driver pull over to a safe location to check texts or listen to voice mails As a passenger, offer to share responsibility so that the driver does not drive distracted 15

Speak up for your safety 16

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There are two sides to distracted driving 19

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Teen Driver Survey Teens uniformly know that texting while driving is dangerous (97% say it is dangerous, including 75% who say it is very dangerous), however only 70% of Teens say that texting while stopped at a red light is dangerous, with only 33% saying it is very dangerous. 23

FACT Car accidents are the number one cause of teen deaths, killing more than 3,500 per year and seriously injuring over 400,000 of teens Texting and distracted driving is a factor in 8 out of 10 accidents, and young drivers have the highest distracted driving fatality rate of all age groups Over 50% of teens admit to texting while driving because they do not believe it is dangerous 24

Did you know… Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 39 states and the District of Columbia Novice drivers are banned from texting in 5 states (Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and TEXAS) School bus drivers are banned from text messaging in 3 states (Mississippi, Oklahoma and TEXAS) 25

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Do you know Texas law ? Hand held banYoung drivers all cellphone ban Bus drivers all cellphone ban Texting banEnforcement Drivers in school crossing zones Drivers younger than 18 Bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present Bus drivers when a passenger 17 and younger is present; drivers in school crossing zones; drivers younger than 18 Primary 27

Although we have enforcement of cell phone usage among some driver populations…. We need more to help reduce the number of injuries from this deadly behavior 28

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“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi 31