The first week of October is the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety’s (NETS) 2011 Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW). Read more at http://www.belletire.com/blog

1. Do Your Part to Prevent
Dangers of Distracted Driving
October 2011

2. The first week of October is
the Network of Employers for
Traffic Safety’s (NETS) 2011
Drive Safely Work Week
(DSWW). The event is run in
partnership with the U.S.
Department of
Transportation and
encourages businesses to
focus on the dangers of
distracted driving with their
employees.

3. But what is distracted driving? It can be a variety of
things including using a mobile phone, eating and
drinking, talking to passengers, reading, grooming or
even just changing the radio station.

4. The Department of Transportation classifies distractions
into three categories:
Visual — taking your eyes off the road
Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re
doing

5. The Hard Facts about Distracted Driving
1. Distractions Increase The Risk of Accidents - A
number of studies have been done on the issue and
the crash statistics related to driving distractions are
alarming. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration reported that in 2009, 20 percent of
injury crashes

6. 2. Thumbs Belong on the
Steering Wheel at All Times
Click to Watch

7. The Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety reports that
drivers who use hand-held
mobile devices are four times
as likely to get into serious car
accidents. A University of
Utah study reports that using
a cell phone while driving
delays the reactions of a
driver as much as having a
blood alcohol level of .08
percent.

8. Some states, such as Michigan have made it illegal to
text and drive, costing drivers a $100 ticket if they are
found texting behind the wheel.

9. 3. Staying Awake is Not Optional
Another category of
distraction is drowsiness.
There are 56,000 accidents
annually cited by police
from fatigue. The causes
vary, but sleep loss,
medications, sleep
disorders and alcohol are
all factors and increase the
risk of drowsy driving.

10. For DSWW, employers are encouraged to talk with their
employees and share safe driving tips for both drivers and
passengers. Here are some tips to focus on to help drivers
keep distractions to a minimum:
• Do not text while driving or have a designated call taker, maker or texter
• Don't drive drowsy, avoid alcohol and using drugs
• Increase following distance and always buckle up
• Avoid loud music, using cell phones, and interruptions from passengers

11. For car owners who don’t
have an employer taking part
in the program, they can find
resources about the topic at
the Department of
Transportation website
distraction.gov and the
National Safety Council’s
website www.nsc.org.

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