Three Seconds Before the Crash

A local television station called me last week with questions about the dangers of distracted driving. They had heard the announcement by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and National Safety Council President Janet Froetscher about the creation of a national nonprofit organization called FocusDriven. It is the first of its kind devoted specifically to raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

The reporter wanted to know my view on distracted driving and I was very pleased to take the time to talk with him about this topic. Distracted driving is serious business and a growing concern among safety advocates nationwide.

Although many people think of driving as just a routine task, the reality is that controlling an automobile takes a driver’s full attention. Did you know it only take three seconds to travel more than 300 feet when driving 70 mph? The National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration says that 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve some sort of driving distraction occurring within three seconds before the vehicle crash. One such distraction is texting while driving.

It is not okay to think you can take your eyes off the road to focus on the keyboard of your phone in an attempt to send or read a text. No message is so important that it cannot wait until you have stopped in a safe location.

Our society is a busy one and technology has made the communication of information instant. I have mentioned before how much I depend upon my Blackberry. It allows me to multitask and get a lot done—anywhere and at anytime. But we need to learn to use our technology responsibly and we need to teach our driving-age children to do the same.

My hope is that you pause to think about what you can do now to prevent a crash, rather than think about what you wish you had done differently after a crash. My hope is that my words in this blog or on television this week might just save a life. Please give driving your full attention.

Respond to my blog and let me know what you think.

Matt

Let's Talk

As regional coordinator for the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, I am often invited to speak with groups about safe driving habits. Some stories I hear at these outings are uplifting and some are sad. More importantly, we can all learn from these stories because they are about real people just like you and me.

Real People, Real Loss - This summer, a local high school principal in mid-Missouri invited me to speak with students and parents as part of their driver’s education class. The principal was concerned because several teens in this community had died in car crashes during the last school year. Some of the teens were riding with their parents. Sadly, none were wearing a seat belt. The principal felt an urgency to educate the students and community about seat belt safety because she didn’t want to see another young life lost. I applaud her efforts.

Unfortunately, many people don’t understand that without a seat belt, a person can be tossed around and out of a vehicle during a crash. Seat belts keep you secured in your seat.

Check out this link of a taxi cab driver that fell asleep while driving. He ends up with his head out the window of the car after it rolls.



Check out this public service announcement showing how an unbelted passenger hurt others in the car.



In my job I see a lot. I’ve seen people survive serious crashes because they were wearing a seat belt and stayed secured in their seat. I’ve seen crashes in which the passenger area of the car was barely damaged, but the unbelted occupants were thrown from the car or seriously hurt others inside the car as they were tossed about. I hear people tell me they can hold on during a crash. The reality is that the force of a crash at 40 mph is like hitting the ground after falling off a 50-foot cliff. You can’t hold on.

Do As I Do - I am a parent. One of the most important safety tips I’ve tried to teach my children is that they have a much better chance of surviving a vehicle crash if wearing a seat belt. I tell them this sometimes. More importantly, my wife and I show them how important we think it is by buckling up every single time we drive or ride in a vehicle.

Why I Do This - Just like the high school principal, I encourage you to proactively work to encourage others to use their seat belt. Buckling up takes seconds. Use that time to choose wisely because it might just affect the rest of your life or the life of someone you love. My hope is that as I visit places to speak on this topic in the future, the positive stories will outnumber the sad.

Start A Dialogue - I encourage parents and teens to respond to this blog. Let me know what questions you have about safe driving practices like seat belt safety and sober driving. I’m happy to respond and I look forward to hearing from you.