Welcome to the Community Safety Zone for February !
The safety column for this month will highlight some important facts about distracting driving. Although distracted driving is most commonly thought of to be using a cell phone or another hand held device while operating a
vehicle, drivers can can also be distracted by the actions of passengers in the vehicle.
It takes the average driver 1.5 seconds to react to a situation on the roadway. When a driver is distracted , reaction time is doubled. In comparison to an attentive driver , a texting driver is 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision.
In Ontario, deaths from collisions caused by distracted driving have doubled since 2000 and one person is injured in a distracted driving collision every half hour.
The age group most at risk is drivers between the ages of 16 and 29.
37 % of teens report being a passenger in a car with a parent who was talking on the phone.
23% of teens reported being a passenger in a car with a parent who was texting while driving.
TIPS TO PREVENT DISTRACTED DRIVING
- Put your phone in a place you cannot access while driving so you are not tempted to use it.
- Turn off your phone while driving.
- Pull over safely to the side of the road before answering or using your phone.
- As a passenger, remind the driver they are responsible for your safety and that they should focus on driving if they begin to use the phone.
- When calling a person you learn is driving, advise them to call you back when they have pulled over or reached their destination.
- Remind passengers that their behaviour which interferes with your attention to driving is a hazard for all of you.
BE SAFE ANY PAY ATTENTION WHILE DRIVING !
We appreciate hearing your comments, receiving your concerns and taking suggestions for future Community Safety Zone topics. Please feel free to email us at safety@navan.on.ca