Avoiding Driver Distractions
Distracted drivers are just as impaired as drunk drivers. It’s a fact.
The studies show …
Distracted drivers are dangerous drivers.
- Driver distraction is a factor in 8 out of 10 – about 4 million – car crashes in North America each year.
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- Drivers talking on cellphones are in many cases just as impaired as drunk drivers.
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- Experienced drivers are no better at handling the distraction of a cellphone than are novice drivers.
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Not only is distracted driving potentially as dangerous as driving drunk; it is, in fact, much more common.
In 2006, an IBC-commissioned public opinion survey found that:
- 89% of Canadians were very or somewhat concerned about driver distraction; but
- 60% of drivers would not agree to stop using their cellphones while driving, despite being told that cellphone use made them four times more likely to be involved in a collision.
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The problem and the solutions
Some say “just ban cellphones.” But this does not address the complexity of the problem. A ban on cellphones would take care of only one of the many distractions to which a driver is exposed. What about MP3 players, PDAs, GPS systems, radios and CDs? Not to mention eating, putting on make-up and consulting a map. A cellphone ban is too simple an approach to this complicated problem.
Therefore, Canada’s home, car and business insurers are taking a different approach by sponsoring a $4-million public education campaign to reinforce what science tells us and Canadians instinctively know: Distracted drivers are dangerous drivers.
This campaign is helping Canadians understand that driving is a complex task that requires their full attention – and that they need to ask themselves, “What Are You Doing Behind the Wheel?”
To learn about the elements of this multimedia campaign, visit www.besmartbesafe.ca.
Why is the insurance industry involved?
Canada's home, car and business insurers have a long history of working with provincial governments and safety organizations to make communities safer for everyone. From seatbelt legislation and anti-drinking-and-driving campaigns to graduated licensing, home, car and business insurers have always been at the forefront of safety. This education campaign builds on this long-standing commitment to Canadians.
How to prevent distractions from making you another accident statistic
- Avoid intense, complicated or emotional conversations when driving.
- Pull over to care for children.
- Adjust your seat, climate controls and other devices before pulling out.
- Ask your passengers to help navigate or adjust controls.
- If you feel sleepy, find a safe place to pull over and rest.
- Turn off your cellphone or pull over in a safe place if you must take a call.
- Stop to eat or drink.
- Read maps, and check traffic and exits before you leave so you’re prepared.
- Teach teens to limit distractions while driving.
Next time you feel you have to make that call, change that CD, or put a DVD on for the kids, consider that a car going 100 km/h travels about 90 feet in one second. When you take your eyes off the road for even a second, a lot can happen. Tragedy can happen.
Just drive.
 Television Commercials
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