W8 2 TXT - Stop! Do Not Talk or Text While Driving!

Cell phones today are multi-purpose tools used to call, text, browse the web, send emails, play games, and a seemingly endless amount of other functions. As a result, cell phones have become an indispensable part of our day-to-day-life, with many people finding it difficult to disconnect from their phone, even while driving. Talking and texting on the phone while driving, however, leads to driver distraction, which is the leading cause of car accidents today.

 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2008 that driver distraction was the cause of 16 percent of all fatal crashes -- 5,800 people killed in one year-- and 21 percent of crashes resulting in an injury -- 515,000 people injured in one year. A major source of that driver distraction is cell phone usage while driving: According to the NTHSA, 995 people died in 2009 as the result of cell phone related distraction. This is 20% of fatalities involving distracted driving. According to the American Automobile Association, nearly 50 percent of teens admit to texting while driving.

 Here are some additional findings from a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute:

 Texting while driving increases the risk of an accident 23.2 times over unimpaired driving.

 Immediately prior to an accident, typical drivers spent almost 5 seconds looking at their phone. At 30 miles per hour a car travels 220 feet in 5 seconds, and at highway speeds a car travels over the length of a football field in 5 seconds.

95% of drivers surveyed said texting behind the wheel was unacceptable and unsafe, yet 21% of those surveyed admitted to doing it anyway.

 In another study funded by the Royal Automobile Club Foundation and carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory, texting reduced motorists’ reaction time by 35 percent. In comparison, drivers who consumed the legal limit of alcohol experienced a 12 percent reduction in their reaction time, and drivers using marijuana had a 21 percent slower reaction time.

 These surveys reveal that distracted driving significantly endangers people and property. What, then, can be done to help prevent this injury and loss? One of the best ways to discourage distracted driving is for parents to lead by example: avoid using the phone while driving, and if you must respond to a call or text, pull over and stop the car first.

 Make a pledge with your family today, W82TXT!