Don’t be distracted while driving

In recognition of April’s designation as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Mission Viejo Police Services encourages residents to always practice safe driving habits.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed and more than 390,000 injured in accidents involving distracted drivers. Even more distressing, teens were the largest age group reported as distracted during fatal collisions.

Distracted driving is anything that takes attention away from driving, including eating, applying makeup or grooming, making phone calls, texting, taking pictures or videos, posting on social media, sending emails and fidgeting with the radio, entertainment system or GPS device. Texting is the most alarming distraction. On average, drivers take their eyes off the road for five seconds while texting. When traveling at 55 mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded!  

“Hands-free is not risk-free,” says the National Safety Council, and many drivers mistakenly believe hands-free devices are safer than handheld devices. However, the brain is still distracted during conversations, which doesn’t make hands-free devices any safer than handheld. In fact, when it comes to voice-to-text capabilities, studies show using voice to text is more distracting than texting by hand.

You play a vital role in helping to stop distracted driving. Teens should speak up when they see a friend or family member driving while distracted. They can also remind loved ones on social media not to drive distracted. Parents must lead by example and not drive distracted. Also, it is important for parents to talk to their young drivers about the responsibilities of driving and possible consequences of distracted driving. Everyone in the family can make a pledge to never drive distracted and hold each other accountable.

Although multitasking on the road may be convenient for drivers, it is not safe—and distracted driving claims thousands of lives each year. So, remember this motto: “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.”

For more information visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving.