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Temptation to multi-task while driving is on the rise.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and here at State Farm® Insurance, it’s a subject we take very seriously. It’s a time when we focus our energy and efforts to educate the public on the dangers of distracted driving. The temptation to multi-task while driving is on the rise, according to a State Farm annual research report on distracted driving, featured in a front page story in USA Today. The report shows drivers are not only texting while driving; they’re also engaged in other distracting behaviors such as accessing the Internet from their smartphones. The percentage of drivers engaged in these behaviors has nearly doubled in the past five years; increasing from 13 percent in 2009 to 24 percent in 2013. State Farm supports a multi-layered approach to encourage more engaged driving, particularly at an early age. Education, legislation, enforcement, and technology all play a role in making our roads safer for everyone on them. On the education front, we sponsor a national educational initiative called Celebrate My Drive®, aimed at lowering the number of teen deaths by encouraging high schools to engage in active conversation around teen driver safety. This signature community outreach program was launched in 2012 to celebrate teens as they get their drivers licenses, while promoting good choices for safe driving habits, especially driving without distraction. We encourage all Virginia high schools to visit www.celebratemydrive.com and participate in Celebrate my Drive 2014. We are also thrilled to partner with Drive Smart Virginia to provide a driving simulator and distracted driving program for high school teens throughout the Commonwealth. The simulator will support the current driver’s education curriculum with a high tech interactive education model that provides students an opportunity to experience the dangers of distracted driving, in a safe environment. As a community, we stand together to promote positive teen driver safety messages. By reinforcing safe driving habits and encouraging high schools to ramp up the conversation with students, teachers and parents, we can save lives. Julie Maloy VP of Agency State Farm Insurance