The Importance of Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Distracted Driving Awareness Month

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. It is meant to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving and encourage motorists to reduce avoidable distractions behind the wheel. This article highlights the dangers of distracted driving and ways you can help your customers stay safe on the road.

What is distracted driving?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is when a driver doesn’t pay full attention to the road, the vehicles around them or the speed limit. Distracted driving is often caused by the following:

1. Taking your eyes off the road (visual distractions)
2. Taking your hands off the wheel (physical distractions)
3. Taking your mind off driving (cognitive distractions)

This loss of mental focus behind the wheel, whether from multitasking, speeding or driving drowsy, can all make for hazardous roads and lead to life-threatening accidents. According to the most recent data from the NHTSA, 3,308 people were killed because of distracted driving in 2022. Further, 289,310 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers.¹

Dangers of distracted driving

A recent Nationwide survey found that today’s drivers overwhelmingly agree driving has become more dangerous, reporting that other drivers are more aggressive (92%), more reckless (88%) and more often looking at their phones (92%) compared to 12 months ago.² Additionally, respondents agreed that:

• They often see drivers with road rage (72%).
• Other drivers often irritate them (66%).
• Driving is stressful for them (36%).

While Nationwide survey respondents agree driving is becoming increasingly dangerous, consumers say the problem is other drivers, with 8 in 10 (79%) rating their own driving as very good or excellent compared to other passenger cars on the road (15%) or commercial vehicles (24%). This creates an environment where drivers understand the dangers of the road but may not grasp how their behaviors contribute to distracted driving. Insurance professionals have the opportunity to engage with their customers, educating them on the dangers of distracted driving and how emerging safety technologies and laws can impact them.

Distracted driving behaviors

Many factors can lead to a crash (e.g., impaired driving, poor road conditions and adverse weather), but distracted driving is a common, preventable cause of accidents. Several behaviors lead to distracted driving, chief among them being cellphone use. Cellphone usage tends to fall under every category of distracted driving, as device use requires:

1. Significant attention to operate, such as when dialing a phone number or responding to a text message (visual distractions)
2. The use of a hand to operate (physical distractions)
3. Users to talk and listen (cognitive distractions)

Unlike other distractions (e.g., eating) that might be brief, cellphone use can be sustained over longer periods, increasing the risk of an incident. Further, the habitual nature of checking messages, social media and emails can lead to automatic behaviors that are hard to suppress, even when driving.

In fact, the NHTSA reports that, in 2022, there were 368 fatal traffic crashes related to cellphone use, which equates to 12% of all distraction-affected fatal traffic crashes.¹ Because of these factors, cellphones are often a focus of campaigns and technological enhancements designed to reduce distracted driving and enhance road safety.

Using emerging technologies to prevent distracted driving

Mobile solutions

Whether it’s talking on a phone, glancing at a text message or navigating a map, most drivers are driving while distracted at some point in their route, based on data collected through Nationwide’s SmartRide® mobile app. In fact, drivers take their eyes off the road an average of 13 times a day, traveling about three football fields cumulatively every time they are distracted by their phones.³

Fortunately, there is a free and easy-to-implement solution in the form of built-in driving modes on cellphones. Typically enabled via a phone’s settings, driving modes essentially put a user’s phone on “do not disturb” mode, silencing incoming phone calls, texts and notifications. Not only is this method of reducing driving distractions simple to use, but it’s also free.

Beyond using built-in driving modes on cellphones, Nationwide’s SmartRide® mobile app, which rewards safe driving behavior with a discount of up to 40% on auto insurance, also has a feature that focuses on phone distractions to help drivers become more aware of their behavior and provides tips to avoid distractions.

Distracted driving laws and governmental practices

To combat distracted driving, some states ban hand-held device use and texting while driving. While the specifics of these laws may vary, hand-held device bans typically permit the use of phones and other devices in a “hands-free” manner (e.g., using voice commands). Still, an increasing number of states have expanded on hand-held device bans, prohibiting drivers from accessing, viewing or reading non-navigation-related materials on their devices.

Some states have banned drivers from typing or sending text messages while driving altogether. This legislation is important for keeping drivers safe on the road, but it’s not a cure-all. Preventing distracted driving requires continued education.⁴

Help clients prevent distracted driving with these safety tips

Even the most experienced drivers can become distracted on the road. With April being Distracted Driving Month, this is a great time for drivers to prioritize identifying and minimizing potentially harmful driving behaviors. The following are some strategies for drivers to consider:

• Learn about distracted driving and its associated risks.
• Never text or use a cellphone while driving. Where possible, drivers should place their phones out of reach to reduce the temptation to check messages or notifications.
• Avoid eating, reaching for items and performing other potentially distracting activities on the road.
• Leverage cellphone applications that recognize when users are driving and automatically send a preset safety message when a text is received.
• Lead by example and encourage others to avoid distractions while driving, educating them on the dangers of driving distracted.

Drivers who glance away from the road for any reason, even for a second, risk their safety and that of others.

Nationwide solutions

It’s evident that distracted driving is a significant concern for all motorists, threatening the safety of the roadways and creating challenges across the auto insurance industry. Distracted Driving Month is a great reminder for motorists to take this risk seriously and do what they can to reduce potential distractions behind the wheel.

Nationwide also offers telematics solutions and a driving rewards program that can help motorists become more aware of their driving behaviors behind the wheel and promote safe driving practices.

• SmartRide® is a program that leverages a mobile app to  track drivers’ habits on the road and offers safe driving discounts on auto insurance and personalized experiences that help them drive safely.
• Focused Driving Rewards is a program for customers and non-customers that allows participants earn rewards for avoiding phone distractions over time.

Additionally, insurance agents can help promote distracted driving prevention by spreading the word on social media, sharing resources in client email communications, presenting to teen motorists at local schools and actively supporting related legislation in their respective states. Nationwide’s distracted driving resource center has additional information and resources to help you share this important information with your customers.

Check out additional risk prevention resources

The insights provided in this article underscore the importance of combating distracted driving. Given the rise in mobile device usage and other distractions, it’s more important than ever for drivers to adopt safe driving practices and for communities to support initiatives aimed at minimizing distractions. Insurance agents—along with organizations like Nationwide—play a pivotal role in these efforts by offering resources, technology solutions like SmartRide® and educational campaigns to promote awareness and change driver behavior.

By working together, we all can make a difference in reducing distracted driving incidents.

For more information on distracted driving, check out our other resources:

• Making Roadways Safer
• Agency Forward by Casey Kempton – Driving toward safer roads: Stronger legislation needed
• Nationwide Distracted Driving Resource Center
• Focused Driving Rewards – Nationwide