Distracted Driving
Driving while distracted is extremely dangerous for you, your passengers, other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.
DISTRACTED DRIVING FACTS:
Distracted Driving is a leading cause of motor vehicle crashes and fatalities. See all crash data.
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210
The average number of fatalities resulting from distracted driving.
Each of these deaths could have easily been prevented.
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21,799
The average number of injuries resulting from distracted driving.
Be the FOCUSED Driver and always pay attention while driving.
Dangers of Distracted Driving
Taking your eyes off the road for even a few seconds can lead to a crash. Simply focusing on driving safely – which means paying attention to the road ahead– can make the difference between life and death.
4 Types of Distracted Driving
There is a time for these activities but doing them while driving is extremely dangerous.
Distracted driving can lead to a citation – or worse – cause a crash. Tickets for distracted driving start at $83 and the penalty is severe if you drive distracted and cause a crash that results in another person’s injury or death. The simple solution is to always pay attention while driving.
Be the FOCUSED Driver. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
Examples of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving.
Your cell phone and other electronics are some of the most dangerous distractions. Texting, talking, posting on social media, reading or sending emails, or watching videos all distract you from driving.
Driving and eating is extremely dangerous and puts drivers, passengers and pedestrians at risk of injuries and fatal car crashes. If you absolutely need to eat or drink while on a trip, pull over and enjoy your food before getting back behind the wheel.
People often use their drive time for activities like shaving or putting on makeup. Anything that you do that takes your eyes off the road puts yourself in danger, as well as others on the road around you.
While driving, your car or truck is no place to read up on the news or the latest book. These activities especially impact your ability to drive safely and to recognize threats on the roadway.
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MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office has developed a simple social media toolkit for the month of November that will provide you with social media content to share, raising awareness about key road safety issues including impaired driving, occupant protection, roadside safety and distracted driving.
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MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office has developed a simple social media toolkit for the month of August that will provide you with social media content to share, raising awareness about key road safety issues including school bus safety/back to school, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, motorcycle safety and distracted driving.
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MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office has developed a simple social media toolkit for the month of April that will provide you with social media content to share, raising awareness about key road safety issues including distracted driving, work zone safety and impaired driving.
