Distracted Driving Awareness Month Sheds Light on Major Issue
Driving is a safe activity and a necessary skill. But ever so often, the driver and passengers are gifted only a few seconds of decision-making to ensure they don’t endanger the lives of everyone on board. This is why Distracted Driving Awareness Month is crucial, as it helps shed light on how distraction can often be deadly for drivers, passengers, passersby, and the surrounding property.
Unfortunately, distracted drivers are painfully becoming the norm rather than the exception. While they get away with it in most cases, it can sometimes result in near-death misses or minor accidents. There are several reasons why drivers get distracted. And the fact that many get away with it seems to give them a “why stop?” attitude about the entire situation.
One of the primary reasons for distraction is smartphones. They are a leading cause of distraction for many drivers, being the reason for 12% of accidents, like texting, calling, or social media engagement. Many drivers seem to find driving challenging without their phones, leading to severe distractions that could cost them or someone else their lives. Other distractions include eating, adjusting the radio, rubbernecking, or using the driving period to do something the driver was too busy to do before driving.
The thing about accidents, whether major or minor, is that they boil down to seconds, and those seconds do not come with a notification. A minor distraction in those seconds can lead to unwanted situations that will impact the lives of the distracted drivers and those around them.
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. It serves as a timely reminder for drivers and potential drivers to reassess their driving habits and ensure they prioritize safety. Law enforcement also takes this seriously and ran a strong campaign between April 4 and 8 to promote awareness.
During this period, law enforcement was heightened as part of the national campaign "Put the Phone Away or Pay." This is primarily to help drivers remember that safety should always be a priority and that nothing seems as essential anymore when an accident occurs. So why not prevent it?
The campaign also reminds drivers of the dangers and legal repercussions of welcoming distractions while driving, especially those that can be avoided entirely. A guilty driver could be fined and sometimes sentenced to prison.
In 2021 alone, distracted driving led to the loss of 3,522 lives. In 2022, it claimed 3,308 lives. Other reports suggest that nearly 11,000 trucking accidents resulted from distractions outside the truck cab. A whopping 80% of truck accidents were caused by the drivers being distracted in at least three seconds leading up to the accident.
Most of these accidents will lead to loss of lives, injuries in some capacity, and destruction of properties. These could have been easily avoided if the drivers were more aware.
Truck drivers moving freight aren't the only ones impacted. It also applies to commercial drivers as well as regular everyday drivers. Taking a stand is important because it protects the drivers from harm. It also prevents unnecessary damage to the people, properties, and the environment in the middle of the accident. To take a stand against distracted driving:
Some safety tips that will help improve your driving safety include pulling over to send texts, designating a passenger as a "designated texter," and stowing away cell phones while driving.
Accidents are entirely preventable, and we have taken that approach since 1947, when our company was established. A.N. Webber Logistics leverages technology and our team of experts to ensure that drivers are well-educated on the importance of driving and are appropriately monitored during transit to prevent unwanted situations.
Because of these, we have continued to enjoy success in delivering cargo to locations with a success rate that many other carriers and freight forwarders envy. Our shipping solutions include dry van, refrigerated shipping, LTL, flatbed and open deck shipping, and warehousing and distribution.
Contact A.N. Webber Logistics today.
Each solution is designed to meet your unique needs, ensuring efficient, reliable freight management no matter the size or scope of your operation.
