Tuesday, April 8, 2014

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Boise Police Chief Masterson Speaks on Behalf of Law Enforcement about Distracted Driving
IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer
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IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE
Teresa Baker
Public Information Officer
Headquarters
700 S. Stratford Dr., Meridian 83642
(208) 884-7122
Fax (208) 884-7087

For Immediate Release: 4/8/14 at 4:48 p.m.

MERIDIAN - April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Idaho State Police want to remind drivers that it only takes a second for something tragic to happen. If you take your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel for any reason, even for just a moment, it can lead to a serious or even fatal crash. Distractions put not only the driver at risk, but their passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers as well.

Statistics from 2010 to 2012 in Idaho show that:

- Distracted driving contributed to almost 1 of every 3 Fatal or Serious Injury crashes
- Distracted driving contributed to 28% of the economic costs of crashes
- 80% of the fatal distracted driving crashes occurred in rural areas
- 52% of the fatal distracted driving crashes involved a single vehicle

Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions include:

- Texting
- Using a cell phone or smartphone
- Eating and drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Grooming
- Reading, including maps
- Using a navigation system
- Watching a video
- Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

These distracting tasks can affect drivers in different ways and are categorized into the following three types:

- Visual - taking your eyes off the road;
- Manual - taking your hands off the wheel; and
- Cognitive - taking your mind off the road.

Idaho State Police want everyone to make it to their destinations safely. Remember that call, e-mail, or text can wait.

For more information and resources on distracted driving visit our website at https://www.isp.idaho.gov/cvs/DistractedDriving.html

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