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MEDIA RELEASE

March 19, 2012

Distracted Driving Means Dangerous Driving

April is “National Distracted Driving Month” and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is launching a new campaign this month in an effort to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving.

We have all experienced that terrifying –”oh-no-they’re-going-to-hit-me” – moment, when we see another driver swerving dangerously in front of or alongside our own vehicle. Often times when we look over at the other driver and see them chatting away, we think to ourselves “oh, of course, they’re on the phone!” We are a world of multi-taskers and while many of us also engage in the same distracted driving behavior, we often don’t consider ourselves as a risk to others in a similar situation. The reality is, once our attention is diverted from driving, even for a split second, the likelihood of causing a car crash increases tremendously.
According to studies done by Virginia Tech and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number one source of driver inattention is the use of a wireless device. While it’s no surprise that these advanced technological devices are widespread, the potential outcome of people using these devices while driving is cause for concern. Driving while using a cell phone, whether hand-held or wireless, reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent (Carnegie Mellon), and delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of 0.08 percent (University of Utah). This decreased reaction time means that you are four times more likely to get into a car crash (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) and cause injury to yourself or someone else.
In California in 2011, the Department of Motor Vehicles reported that there were 460,487 hand-held cell phone convictions – up 22 percent from 361,260 convictions in 2010 and 52 percent from 301,833 in 2009. The cost of a ticket for a first offense is a minimum of $159, and $279 for subsequent offenses. While those costs may seem high, it’s really nothing when you consider that the offender could have easily hurt or killed someone through their inability to pay full attention to the road ahead.
Although wireless devices are the leading sources of distracted driving, anything that takes your focus away from driving can be incredibly dangerous and may just as easily lead to a wreck. Grooming, putting on makeup, eating or drinking, and adjusting music players are just a few common behaviors that cause drivers to be inattentive and more susceptible to crashes. While many of us find these habits to be routine and convenient while driving from one place to the next, when we stop and consider that the outcome may be injury or death, we need to realize that they are never worth the risk or even the potential cost of a traffic violation.
In an effort to bring awareness to the dangers of distracted driving, the California Office of Traffic Safety recently launched its annual campaign in April, as a part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The campaign’s goal is to stress the importance of staying focused while driving and minimizing all distractions. Drivers should be aware that crashes happen in the blink of an eye and any time spent focusing on something other than the road could lead to a crash or a traffic violation.

Make it a point to set aside your distractions, and encourage those you know to do the same.
Having a trip result in a car crash due to daily, yet avoidable, distractions is never an actual belief for most of us, but it is a likely result. For more information regarding distracted driving facts, please visit www.ots.ca.gov.