E.S.T.I.R. Inc., serving Newark, NJ and the surrounding area, offers various commercial, home and auto insurance policies. Unfortunately, we see firsthand the devastation distracted driving has on people’s lives. And shockingly, people just don’t seem to learn the dangers of taking your mind off of driving for even a few seconds, as indicated by the high number of distracted driving instances.
About Distracted Driving
Distracted driving includes any activity that takes your mind off of driving such as texting, talking on the phone, drinking, eating, talking to your passengers or using your entertainment system, among other activities. Texting is considered the most concerning distraction. A text may only take five seconds to send, but in that small window of time, it’s possible to cause a collision. Let’s say you were traveling 55 miles per hour while texting. In that five seconds it took to send a text, you could have driven the length of an entire football field, making texting while driving equivalent to driving this entire distance with your eyes closed. What’s even more shocking is that approximately 660,000 people are using cell phones while driving.
Statistics
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving claimed 3,477 lives while 391,000 were injured in 2015 alone. The NHTSA deemed distracted driving as a huge concern, especially for teenagers who are already at a disadvantage because they’re inexperienced drivers. In fact, drivers who are under the age of 20 are the ones involved in the highest percentage of distracted driver fatal crashes. In the United States alone, about nine people are killed and 1,000 injured in accidents involving a distracted driver, as noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We advise always keeping your eyes, mind, and hands on driving. And another important safe driving tip is to always have auto insurance. Contact E.S.T.I.R. Inc., serving Newark, NJ and the surrounding area, by calling 973-481-5300 to get a quote.