John T. Kuo, MVA Administrator, Addresses New Texting Law
Drive focused. Drive smart. Get home safely.
Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW) is an annual workplace safety campaign to remind employees of safe driving practices. The campaign addresses:
Distracted driving
Eco-friendly driving
Reminders that most everyone has someone
counting on them to get home safely each day
With today’s businesses most likely operating with the bare minimum staff needed to get the job done, no one can afford to lose even one employee to a traffic crash.
The campaign’s primary message is to get home safely at the end of each day. Because chances are, someone special is waiting for you to get there. It addresses the issue of distracted driving and provides materials and activities to help build strategies to minimize distractions while behind the wheel. In addition, tips and information on eco-friendly driving, or smart driving are included. Just by making simple changes to our driving and maintenance practices fuel economy can be improved by up to 15%, according to EcoDrivingUSA.
The estimated economic impact of motor vehicles crashes on Maryland roadways has reached $5.7 billion a year.
A motor vehicle fatality costs approximately $5.8 million annually.
A critically injured crash survivor costs at approximately $221,800.
The Impact of Seat Belts
In one year, the use of seat belts prevents an estimated 73 fatalities (45% effective) and 2,575 serious injuries (50% effective) in Maryland.
Seat belts could have saved $186.5 million in medical care, lost productivity and other injury-related costs (2,856 total injuries) in Maryland in 2008.
The Impact of Speed
Excessive speed was associated with 163 fatalities and 10,024 non-fatal injuries in 2008.
Injuries and fatalities sustained in crashes in which at least one driver was exceeding the legal speed limit or driving too fast for conditions cost $1.4 billion in Maryland in 2008.
The Impact of Alcohol
Alcohol and/or drug-involved crashes resulted in 164 fatalities and 4,291 non-fatal injuries in Maryland.
Injuries and fatalities sustained in crashes involving alcohol and/or drugs accounted for $1.2 billion in economic costs in Maryland in 2008.
Thoughts for the Road
Distracted driving is the presence of anything that can distract a driver’s physical and mental attention from driving.
Nearly 80% of crashes and 65% of near crashes involve some form of driver inattention within three seconds preceding the event.1
A recent poll conducted by Nationwide Insurance indicated 98% of people feel they are safe drivers, yet nearly three-quarters report that they perform other tasks while driving.
It is estimated that a driver makes an average of 20 major decisions during every mile of driving.2
Recent simulator studies have shown that drivers on cell phones look but fail to see up to 50% of the information in the driving environment. The same studies have indicated there is no difference in the cognitive distraction between drivers using hand-held and hands-free devices.3
Although they tend to increase their following distance, drivers on cell phones have more rear-end crashes than drunk drivers.4
Text messaging continues to set usage records, according to the industry trade group. In 2008, an estimated 3.5 billion text messages were sent per day in the U.S. alone, nearly tripling the amount from the previous year. In a recent MSNBC poll, 32% of respondents admitted to texting while driving.
1 NHTSA and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2006. 2 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. 3 University of Utah Simulator Study 2008 4 Ibid
Drivers to Distraction
Engaging in hand-held or hands-free cell phone conversations
Other passengers, especially children
Reading a road map or adjusting the navigation system
Dealing with shifting cargo or something that has dropped on the floor
Eating, drinking beverages or smoking
Checking PDA’s, browsing the Internet or text messaging
Adjusting the radio, CD player, iPod® or mp3 Player
Grooming
Driving an unfamiliar vehicle
Tips to Manage Potential Distractions
Ease the Pressure. If expecting an important call while driving, program your phone with a unique ring from that number, signaling you to safely pull over to take the call.
Consider allowing all other calls to go to voicemail.
Increase your following distance. Driver training experts suggest a following distance of 4 seconds. The 4-second following rule increases visibility and gives more time to react to what’s happening in front of you, thus reducing the risk to you and your passengers.
Take control. On your personal vehicle, pre-set the climate control, radio and CD player. If driving an unfamiliar vehicle, take the time to identify the location of signals, wipers and lights.
Have a flight plan. Don’t wait until you are driving to plan your route. Access mapping
tools such as MapQuest or Google Maps before you leave, or take advantage of services such as OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation (if available on your vehicle) or other Global Positioning Systems or services.
Buckle it up. Be sure to properly secure all cargo you may be transporting including pets, potted plants and casseroles. And buckle yourself in on every trip. It’s your best defense against the distracted drivers sharing the road with you.
Let it begin with ME. Make it a practice when you make a call to someone’s cell phone to ask if they are driving. If the response is “yes,” take it upon yourself to call them back later or ask them to return your call when they have reached their destination. If everyone did this, it would greatly reduce the number of distracted drivers sharing the roads with us.
Look at the big picture. Making or receiving a phone call while driving makes you four times more likely to be involved in a traffic crash, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Take a moment to focus on those who are counting on you to get home safely every day before you make a choice to divert your full attention from the road.
Give your tunes a tune-up. Digital music devices (iPods, mp3 players) can pose a major distraction. Pre-set a driving playlist to provide continuous tunes without the need for adjustments. Also, it is dangerous and typically illegal to drive with headphones. Only use your device if it can be played over your vehicle’s speakers.
Texting and driving don’t mix. There is no way to safely drive while texting. Texting that begins at a stoplight typically carries over to when traffic is moving again. Even if you are proficient enough that you don’t take your eyes off the road, your mind is off the road and your hands are off the wheel. JUST DON’T DO IT!
