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April Is Distracted Driver Awareness Month
April 25, 2015
Keep your hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and mind on driving — that’s the message the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) want motorists to remember this April during Distracted Driver Awareness Month.
Distracted driving crashes in Florida have increased 25 percent since 2012. Even though teens represent only five percent of licensed drivers, they were responsible for 12 percent of distracted driving crashes. Drivers aged 20–29 were responsible for 31 percent of crashes.
“If you are not 100 percent focused, then you’re not 100 percent driving,” said Col. David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Troopers around the state will continue to educate motorists on the dangers of distracted driving for the safety of all who share our roadways.”
There are three main categories of distraction: visual (taking your eyes off the road), manual (taking your hands off the steering wheel), and cognitive (thinking about anything other than driving). Some of the most common types of distractions include:
- An object, person, or event outside of the vehicle that divert a driver’s attention away from the road
- Texting
- Reaching for a device such as a GPS
- Interacting with passengers
- Eating or drinking
- Unsecured pets
- Grooming
- Adjusting stereo or climate controls
- Lighting a cigarette
- Daydreaming
Comments
7 Responses to “April Is Distracted Driver Awareness Month”
When I think of my childhood spent laying in the back window, playing in the floorboards, standing up alongside my Daddy on the seat, and dodging my Mother’s flailing arm trying to swat me behind her….well, I’m just proud to be here. Seriously, this isn’t the 60’s and people have less and less regard for the cars/people around them. Drive safe. Don’t take chances. Life is precious.
APRIL? I thought every month was driver distraction in this county
The people who really need an education on this subject are the ones who follow too closely (tailgating) and can see there are children in that car. When you see a car tailgating you that already had front-end body damage, get out of their way because they obviously have NOT learned any lesson from the previous accident. Also complete un-thinking people will tailgate you even though there are many cars in front of you, as if tailgating you will make the cars in front of you go faster. Lastly, the Darwin award goes to those who have a cell phone in one hand and a cigarette in the first two fingers of the other hand which leaves only three finders of one hand holding onto the steering wheel and very little control.
A traffic accident is caused by a mistake, an error in judgment. Don’t live in error.
These “Awareness Month” gimmicks don’t achieve anything. What you have to do is start by removing driving privileges and hit folks in their wallets.
And impose heavy fines just for causing an accident, and Florida must end the “No Fault” clause the will surely help.
I got so upset reading this, I had to pull over to the side of the road.
They know there’s a major problem but nothing of any substance is being done about it.. I don’t understand how this is happening.. Distracted driving needs to be par with D.U.I. Until then Nobody will take it serious.. The “It was an accident” just doesn’t cut it for me.. If your actions behind the wheel cause harm to others You should be held accountable.. When the results are the same it shouldn’t matter if one picks up a cellphone or a bottle.. Let’s make the roads safer for all..
You’re releasing this article on April 25th. Shouldn’t it have read April WAS distracted driver awareness month.
Maybe, just maybe a better time to release it would have been the end of March. But I will make every effort to be aware of distracted drivers for this upcoming week. Believe me, it isn’t hard around this area.