Avoid distracted driving; focus on the road ahead

I often get asked why automobile insurance premiums have gone up.

I respond by listing the top things that are putting pressure on premiums: The rising cost of repairs and other inflationary factors, people driving at excessive speeds, motorists operating their cars while impaired and drivers and passengers not wearing their safety belts.

The No. 1 factor putting upward pressure on automobile insurance premiums is distracted driving.

Since April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the United States, now is a good time to emphasize the dangers of distracted driving and pledge to focus on safe driving practices.

Distracted driving is anything that takes your concentration off driving safely. A common form of distracted driving is texting or talking on your cell phone.

Eating, drinking coffee or a soft drink, setting the GPS, putting on makeup, changing a radio station or tending to a child in a car are also forms of distracted driving.

Distracted driving can be deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,275 lives were lost involving distracted drivers in 2023. That’s 3,275 too many. The NHTSA estimates that more than 32,000 people have died in crashes involving distracted drivers since 2014.

While statistics suggest that younger drivers tend to be distracted at higher rates than older drivers, drivers of all ages are at risk for distracted driving crashes.

Teens, however, can play a key role in preventing distracted driving. They can be the best messengers with their peers. They can pledge to never drive distracted and speak up if they see a friend drive while distracted.

Parents can set a good example for their teenage children by never driving distracted as well as having a talk with their children about distraction and the responsibilities that come with driving.

Here are a few tips you can use to avoid distracted driving:

• If you need to send a text or email, pull off the road and safely park before sending the message.
• Select a passenger to be a “designated texter” for you.
• Set your radio station or navigation system before you start driving.
• Don’t scroll through apps, websites or social media while driving. If you think you’ll be tempted to do so, you can turn your phone off, put it in airplane mode or put your phone in the glove box or back seat while you’re driving.
• Ask someone else in the car to tend to the needs of children while you’re driving.

The advice to avoid distracted driving is valid every time you get behind the wheel. Taking your eye off the road because of a distraction can be disastrous, even if it’s only for a few seconds.

Let’s all pledge to be better drivers. Avoiding distracted driving is a good start.