.png)
Having kids, I find that when I am on the road, I not only strive to be safe while driving, but I am also very cautious of others on the roads as well. I think one of the biggest distractions, that I notice daily, is the cell phones. I see people on their cells talking and texting every time I am out driving, and with knowing the dangers that poses to myself, my kids, as well as other drivers on the roads, seeing people do so is quite disturbing.
.png)
I know that as a parent, driving with the kids in the car is enough of a distraction. You have the kids in the back seats, who may or may not be getting along at the particular moment we are driving. Then if there is a baby in the car, you also have the crying that can cause a distraction. Along with the random fights or the crying, with kids you also have those, I have to go, right now, moments, or the child who gets sick in the car because of an upset tummy. Which can all pose as a distraction, without the extra added with a cell phone in the car.
Aside from the daily, being a parent distraction, you also have plenty of other things that can be distracting. Like trying to read signs while driving, applying makeup, eating on the go, searching for your favorite radio station or looking through your playlists, and the list goes on. I mean, if your attention is not 100% on the road and the cars around you, then you are distracted, even if it is just for a second, and any distraction can be dangerous while driving.
Well to help with those moments, how ever many or few you might have, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the Auto Alliance would like to help others, by increasing the awareness’s surrounding distracted driving. The two are teaming up through the campaign called, “Decide to Drive”, where drivers and passengers can get the information they need and talk about distracted driving, and also continue the conversation at home, work, school and help reduce the distracted driving related crashes. Both are groups who have seen plenty of results from crashes, from putting back together bones and limbs with the Orthopedic Surgeons, to keeping cars intact as well.
Finding the information and tools that you can share can help others be more aware. Like sharing the facts given by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), where of the nearly 33,000 fatalities that occurred on the road in 2012, 3,328 of them were caused by distracted driving related crashes. And of the injuries that occurred in 2012, approximately 421,000 injuries were also caused by distracted driving related crashes.
They want people to know, that the most advanced safety feature that you can find in any vehicle, is the driver. And the people from the AAOS and the Auto Alliance urge all drivers to utilize their own safety features at all times by keeping eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. Be sure to check out the information you can share with others from the Decide to Drive campaign site! Also, enter to win a $1000 Visa Gift Card with the Decide to Drive Catchphrase Contest which is running now until June 13th! There will also be 2 runners up who will each get a $500 Visa Gift Card, and if you win, your catchphrase could be made famous with the nationwide Decide to Drive campaign! This great contest is open to US residents who are 18 and over!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
