Auto - Every Second Matters Flashcards
What’s Happening on our roads?
Lane departure warnings. Automatic emergency braking. Backup cameras. Drivers today have more technology than ever to help avoid collisions.
But still, there has been a significant rise in traffic fatalities in recent years.
In 2016, 40,200 Americans died in car crashes, according to estimates released by the National Safety Council. When compared to 2014, it marks the most significant two-year increase in more than 50 years.
What’s driving those deadly numbers?
Likely factors behind the rise in deadly car crashes include more vehicle miles traveled due in part to lower gas prices and the economic recovery, as well as distracted driving. Nearly ninety percent of consumers worry about the risk of distraction due to people driving while using technology, according to the 2017 Travelers Risk Index.
Drivers who are distracted and driving more miles often find themselves in potentially dangerous situations.
Forty percent have either experienced a “near miss” because they were distracted or have caused a crash due to their own distraction.
Even drivers who are actively paying attention and scanning the road face risks because they need to react quickly to safety incidents that may be caused by other drivers’ distraction. And distraction impacts more than just drivers.
Forty-four percent of drivers worry about accidentally running into a distracted pedestrian.
With its Every Second MattersSM distracted driving initiative, the Travelers Institute is challenging all drivers to set positive examples and help change attitudes about what is socially acceptable behind the wheel. This guide offers
a snapshot of roadway distraction. We hope it will serve as a conversation starter to raise awareness among drivers and empower them to drive with fewer distractions.
