From an insurance company
Ron Mesic
Strictly speaking this isn't CERT, but it is safety and good advice...
Best,
Ron
TXT = ACCDNT
Sending messages behind the wheel is deadlier than drinking and driving.
23x That's how much more likely a texting driver is to be involved in
a crash than one who isn't texting, according to a study from the
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).
Laura McKenzie and her two youngest children know how dangerous such
distracted drivers can be. When a texter swerved into her lane on busy
Interstate 59 in Alabama, McKenzie escaped to the median to avoid a
collision.
Because 85 percent of Americans own cell phones, the
driving-while-texting problem is likely to get worse, particularly
with young people, says Stephen Wallace, chairman and CEO of SADD
(Students Against Destructive Decisions). "There's a myth of
invincibility with teenagers," he says.
Research proves no one is safe from the dangers of texting and
driving. The VTTI study found that texting requires the most
eyes-off-road time of any distraction. "Those who think they aren't
looking at the keyboard are still taking their eyes off the road long
enough for the situation in front of them to change-and for them to
not be able to react quickly enough to avoid a crash," says Sherri
Box, VTTI public relations and marketing manager.
Not only is texting while driving dangerous-in 18 states and
Washington, D.C., it's illegal. Despite these laws, public awareness
campaigns and frightening research findings, drivers continue to type
and read messages. "Texters aren't aware of how distracted they are,"
says Dave Melton, industry director of transportation with the Liberty
Mutual Insurance Research Institute for Safety. "They expect other
drivers to compensate, but you can't count on that."
Visit www.ghsa.org for the Governors Highway Safety Association's
updates on driving laws regulating cell phones and texting.