April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and across the country, law enforcement is cracking down on distracted driving. In New York State, for example, penalties for cell-phone use while driving are hefty, with fees of $800 and a penalty of 5 points for a first offense.
Despite expensive ticket threats and safe driving awareness campaigns, only 12% of U.S. drivers say they are doing anything to prevent distracted driving habits by using safety features on their phone.
New data from Travelers 2018 Risk Index focuses on distracted driving and perception of risks among drivers and passengers. Consistent with Travelers' Risk Index surveys from previous years, an overwhelming majority of people surveyed (more than 90%) say they worry about distraction caused by people using personal technology while driving.
Of those polled, 85% said it is extremely risky to use smartphones or tablets while driving, yet roughly a quarter of respondents (25%) said they do it anyway and believe they can do so “safely.”
But data from Travelers proves there is no way to use technology while driving safely, as you are 23 times more likely to get into an accident if you text and drive.
Related: 5 best practices to fight the effects of distracted driving
What's distracting us?
Travelers 2018 Risk Index found that nearly 40% of drivers are distracted for almost 15 minutes per hour, on average.
Approximately one in 10 respondents reported being frequently distracted by technology while driving.
Among admitted distracted drivers, 61% say they respond to texts, emails and phone calls while driving because “there might be an emergency.” FOMO (“fear of missing out”) affects 23% of motorists, who say they engage in cell phone use while driving because they are afraid of missing out on something.
Joan Woodward, executive vice president, Public Policy, and president of the Travelers Institute says these results show a clear disconnect between drivers' perception of what is safe and the reality of what is happening on our roads.
In response, Travelers has launched the Every Second Matters initiative to help change perceptions about this problem so people start taking it seriously.
“Distracted driving is involved in an average of 40 crashes every day in Colorado, and in 2016, those crashes resulted in 67 deaths,” said Sam Cole, traffic safety communications manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). “Initiatives such as Travelers' Every Second Matters series and CDOT's Drop the Distraction campaign help raise awareness about the dangers of taking your eyes off the road, with the goal of improving safety.”
For more information about distracted driving risks and how to stay safe behind the wheel, visit the Travelers Prepare & Prevent website.
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.