Photo provided by OSF Illinois Neurological Institute and can be seen on their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/IllinoisNeurologicalInstitute
Distracted Driving is an epidemic. Throughout this past month, our ThinkFirst Navajo Injury Prevention Program has joined forces with hundreds of other organizations to increase awareness of the perils of distracted driving. Our theme has been: “Just Drive!”
Distracted driving kills and injures more than 440,000 people every year, with teens being the largest group involved in fatal crashes. According to recent statistics, 11 teens die every day in the United States as a result of texting and driving. In a poll taken by the American Automobile Association, 94 percent of teen drivers acknowledged the dangers of texting and driving, but 35 percent admitted to doing it anyway.
The National Safety Council (NSC) has designated April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month in a national campaign to prevent injuries and fatalities. As the number of preventable injuries and deaths increase—from people talking on the phone and/or texting while driving—there is greater need to increase awareness of how it just takes a few seconds of “distraction” to lose control of a vehicle.
Here is a link to the Distracted Driving Fact Sheet, created by the NSC, with the astounding statistic that 94 percent of motor vehicle crashes are caused by driver error. Therefore, nearly all of the crashes that happen on our roadways are 100 percent PREVENTABLE.
Notice too, that they are called “crashes “ not “accidents” if they could have been prevented.
What is the leading cause of these human errors? Distractions.
According to the National Safety Council:
- 7% of all drivers at any given time are using their phones while driving.
- Many more drivers are manipulating electronic devices while driving at any given daylight moment
- Drivers talking on phones, hand-held or hands-free, miss seeing up to 50% of what is around them such as other drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.
Even dashboards can be distracting. Watch this video:
The powerful yet simple advice the NSC gives is this:
“Before you start your car, turn off your phone and Just Drive.”
As part of the “Just Drive”campaign, our ThinkFirst Navajo Program has increased its focus on teaching Navajo youth about the deadly dangers of distracted driving. Here are some of the important tips we share in the presentations we give to students—especially teens—across the Navajo Nation:
- Keep your mind on driving
- Keep your eyes on the road
- Keep your hands on the wheel
- Talk/Text Later
- Turn your phones off and put them out of sight
We encourage all of the students who drive to take the National Safety Council’s Pledge to be an attentive driver.
We also urge everyone to share this information with their parents or anyone else with whom they might be in a vehicle.
If you live on or near the Navajo Nation, and would like to arrange a free injury prevention presentation for your school, organization, conference or at any other venue, please contact us at: https://evecrowellsfund.org/contact-us/
“Distracted driving is an epidemic. Be part of the solution. Just Drive.”
We would appreciate you sharing this newsletter with everyone you care about.
