With Thanksgiving over, the New Year is fast approaching. From a personal risk management perspective, I can share there is ONE major safety risk that can be easily managed, though each day many of us willingly invite this risk into our lives – and the lives of our loved ones.
Driving While Distracted is an increasingly pervasive risk that many of us simply chose to accept. For those who require the alarming statistical evidence, consider:
- Over 2.5 million people in the U.S. are involved in road accidents each year, and 64% involved the use of a cell phone.
- Texting and driving is 6 times more likely to get you in an accident than drunk driving. Yup — driving while intoxicated is statistically LESS less dangerous than driving while texting.
- Reading a text message while driving successfully distracts a driver for a minimum of five seconds each time.
- 94% of teenagers understand the consequences of texting and driving, but 35% of them admitted that they do it anyway.
- 25% of teens respond to at least one text while driving, every single time.
- On average, 11 teenagers die each day because they were texting while driving.
- 10% of adults and 20% of teenagers have admitted that they have entire conversations via text message while driving.
- When polled, 77% of adults and 55% of teenage drivers say that they can easily manage texting while driving.
The Holiday Season helps to remind us that the well-being of ourselves and our friends and family is what is most important to us. I encourage all to make a resolution to manage the risk of distracted driving, and to compel those you care about to do the same.
There is a lot of information available to help make the changes needed to avoid distractions. The organization End Distracted Driving provides a lot of practical guidance, including a list of 11 simple steps to manage this risk: http://www.enddd.org/simple-steps-we-can-take-for-safer-driving/
Why not resolve to take the steps to manage this risk now?!
