Did you know that April is Distracted Driver Awareness Month?
Every year, about 500,000 people injured and 6,000 die due to distracted driving accidents.This month, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Transportation Practice Specialty (TPS) group’s efforts to raise awareness on this issue are apparent.
According to the Department of Transportation, younger drivers are especially more likely to be involved. This is also due to the higher use of cell phones and technology while behind the wheel. So far, 33 states have banned text messaging while driving with a few going a bit further and making it illegal using a cellphone at all.
So if you find yourself guilty of this, how do you break the habit? Here are some tips from the TPS to help you steer clear of distracted driving:
- Program your device so you do not answer and notify the caller that you will be driving and are not available to respond at the moment. In an emergency, family should know to call 911 or other family members.
- In case someone urgently needs to reach you, devise a procedure such as three rings, hang up, wait 2 minutes, call again and repeat to allow time to pull over safely.
- Know your route in advance and, if using a navigation system, pre-program it.
- Prepare the vehicle cab and yourself for driving, including your management of any distractions, be they inside or outside of your vehicle.
- Maintain safe spacing on the road or move to a less obstructed lane.
To learn more on distracted driving tips and prevention, visit http://www.asse.org/newsroom/safetytips/distracteddriving.php.
Have a safe trip!