Distracted driving isn’t worth the risk; put the phone down

Next time you are driving in your car, remember to “just drive” — you may save your own life or the lives of others. In Florida, there were close to 50,000 crashes involving distracted driving in 2017, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. These crashes resulted in more than 200 fatalities. Motor vehicle fatalities are up 6 percent nationally since 2015, according to the National Safety Council. This is a disturbing trend.

April is Distracted Driving Month, and it should make us think about putting down our phones while driving, but we need to do more. We need to consciously practice not texting, talking or playing with phones or other applications while driving. Not eating while driving. And not reaching around for things or tending to other passengers while driving.

Removing distractions even means working to block out our mental to-do lists and stresses from the day.

When we’re multitasking, our driving reaction time slows. If you look away from the road for just five seconds while driving at 40 mph, your vehicle has traveled more than 290 feet. A lot could happen in that time, and you may not be able to stop safely.

If more drivers committed to just driving, lives would be saved and arguably the costs of auto insurance would decrease. Let’s all please work to make focused driving the norm and develop lifelong habits that make our roads safer.

Samantha Sexton, vice president of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for the Personal Insurance Federation of Florida