Despite a decline in traffic volume, crash fatality rates have spiked in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speeding, impaired and distracted driving are three high-risk driver behaviors that continue to be contributing factors in most deadly crashes.
The National Safety Council postponed the 10-year anniversary observance of Distracted Driving Awareness Month when our nation went on lockdown last spring. Much has happened since then, and today many still are searching for coping mechanisms.
Some of your neighbors have lost their jobs and are struggling to put food on the table. These days, the commonplace occurrence for moms and dads is solving technology issues related to virtual schooling while keeping up with work-from-home responsibilities. And, nearly everywhere, there is a fear of a potential surge in the spread of the virus this fall.
When behind the wheel, all of these issues can be swirling around in your brain. All can lead to cognitive distraction and pull your focus off the road. That’s when crashes occur. On a typical day, more than 700 people are injured in distracted driving crashes in America.
This October, let’s work to make our roads safer during our rescheduled Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Participating on this observance together is one way we can take a first step toward a much bigger healing process.
Join the National Safety Council and lead sponsor TRUCE Software, a company dedicated to decreasing workplace distraction and improving worker safety, in this effort. Create a distracted driving program for your organization, or educate your community by sharing these free materials and renewing your commitment to drive distraction-free.
Employers already lead in the effort to end distracted driving. Many have incorporated transportation safety into their broader safety culture and enacted safe driving policies. Business leaders have come to understand they can reduce their crash rates and exposure to liability while saving money and lives. Often, what is learned at work is carried home.
Set yourself up for a successful drive by programing your GPS device ahead of time, silence your phone and pick a radio station or music playlist.
Take 60 seconds to watch this video, and share the link to drive behavior change.
Download the free NSC Safe Driving Kit to steer your organization toward transportation safety.
Finally, join us to be part of the solution by taking the Just Drive pledge. The Zebra, the nation’s leading insurance comparison site, will donate $1 for every pledge and match 100% of every donation made up to $5,000 between now and Nov. 6. Ask employees or friends to download their pledge certificates. Take photos and post them on your intranet sites or social channels, anywhere and everywhere with the hashtag #JustDrive.
Together, we can not only reverse the dangerous trends, but make our roads safer for all road users today, tomorrow and every day after.
