I think a lot of people don’t realize how much risk is involved with distracted driving. Driving while distracted can result in crashes and deaths. I believe that we need to bring more awareness and attention to distracted driving and how dangerous it is.
So I was happy to hear that the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Auto Alliance have teamed up to increase awareness for the risks of distracted driving. The Decide to Drive program wants to empower drivers and passengers to speak up about distracted driving they see and help reduce the number of distracted drivers.
“According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of the nearly 33,000 roadway fatalities in 2012, there were 3,328 fatalities and approximately 421,000 injuries in distracted driving-related crashes.
Orthopaedic surgeons—the specialists who put bones and limbs back together after road crashes and traumas—along with our partners, the automakers, would rather help all drivers "decide to drive" each time they get in the car and to keep bones and limbs intact.
Remember, the most advanced safety feature of any vehicle is the driver. The AAOS and the Auto Alliance urges all drivers to keep their most sophisticated safety features engaged at all times: eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.”
I see it all the time while I am driving, people are distracted. A man texting on his phone, a mom reaching into the back seat to help a child. I am not judging, I have been guilty of distracted driving myself. But I have learned that it is not worth the risk. It is so easy to just pull over and handle what needs to be handled. Whether you need to send a text, or deal with the little one in the back seat. Pull over first, otherwise it will need to wait. It isn’t worth the risk. Lets all come together and “take back the road” and end distracted driving.
Remember you can “Decide to Drive” or decide to be distracted. Let’s all make the right choice!
Visit DecidetoDrive.org to get informed and get involved. They have great resources available there and contests to come.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
