Distracted driving continues to be one of the main reasons why the rates of auto crashes have been going up. To Washington drivers, this is also a reality. But as many organizations attempt to run nationwide campaigns to help drivers become aware of the risks, certain groups work with local state agencies in order to boost their reach.
In New York, insurance company GEICO agreed to donate $1.3 million to the New York State Department of Transportation so that the agency is able to place 52 “Text Stops” along state highways over the next two to five years. The idea is to help curb distracted driving by giving drivers a safe place where they can pull over and text.
Each year, thousands of individuals across the country lose their lives to distracted driving crashes. The worst part about this type of accident is that it happens in a matter of seconds. Many drivers ignore these risks by thinking that it won’t happen to them. But in New York, some believe that giving these drivers a reason to put safety first by stopping their vehicle to text will also boost safety.
Locally, officials say, 25 percent of teens reply to text messaged while operating a vehicle once or more times. At least one in every five teens claim to have had long conversations via text messages mid-driving, while one in every ten adults admit doing the same.
As distracted driving is seen as an epidemic across the country, do not let the same issues put you and your loved ones in danger.
Make sure to always focus on the road. And, if truly necessary, make sure to pull over to a safe spot in order to reply to a text message, email, or call. To those who are willing to avoid crashes in a more effective way may also resort to apps and technologies that keep your phones inaccessible while the vehicle is in motion.
To parents who are concerned about their teens, make sure they are able to avoid accidents by driving defensively. Talk to them about the risks associated with distracted driving and help them by letting them know about the potential consequences of distracting behaviors.
Click here for more details on the partnership between NY and GEICO.
