Distracted Driving Facts

An earlier post titled "3 Seconds" previewed a documentary on distracted driving, so here are some sobering facts to supplement the topic of an ever increasing and very preventable phenomena which is killing thousands of Canadians each year.

10 facts that will cause you to think twice before using a device while driving

1.  Distracted driving claims more lives than alcohol related, speed related, or seat belt related accidents


2. Approximately 90% of drivers consider themselves very or fairly aware of distracted driving laws


3. Of surveyed drivers, 10% report being pulled over and/or faced legal consequences for driving distracted


4. About 5% of surveyed respondents report having caused an accident because of their own distracted driving


5. At 100 kmph, taking your eyes off the road for 2 seconds equates to a travelled distance of 52 m, which is approximately the length of a hockey rink


6. Using a device or having similar distractions increase your risk of accidents by a minimum of 5 times and as much as 23 times that of an attentive driver


7. Of surveyed respondents, 69%  think that using a mobile device is the biggest distraction to drivers yet only 24% believe it is the biggest distraction to their own driving.


8. Canadian drivers who use a mobile device while driving do so once a week or more often


9. About 42% of respondents who drive and were passengers in a vehicle have asked that driver to not use a mobile device while driving.


10. Despite the facts stated in #9, 60% of surveyed drivers have admitted to answering or making a phone call or reading or sending a text while driving

Is there any call or text that is so urgent or important that it's worth risking your life or those of another person?