DRIVING
SCHOOL
AAANow! TM
The Problem With Distracted
Driving
e-mail message while driving within the previous
30 days. The statistic becomes more disturbing
when you consider responses from age groups
under 40. About 44.5% of drivers aged 25-39
admitted to sending at least one text or e-mail, and
about 42.3% of drivers aged 19-24 admitted to the
same. Perhaps surprisingly, a lower percentage of
16- to 18-year-olds, about 31%, admitted to this
Distracteddrivinghasbeenwithus,insome
epidemic, and a recent study by the AAA
behavior, which may be the result of strong driver
form or other, since the early days of motoring.
Foundation for Tra c Safety found that the driving
education messages, public relations campaigns
As time passed, and daily life became more
public at large appears to agree that this distracting
and Graduated Driver Licensing laws (GDL).
complicated, the number of distractions increased.
activity is unacceptable. Over 96% of drivers
In one story that made the national news, a dash-
Now, with inexpensive cellular telephones in
surveyed consider texting/e-mailing while driving
cam video from a following police cruiser in Fort
everyone's hands and GPS navigation systems, we
a serious threat to their personal safety, and about
Myers, Florida showed a car swerving out of its lane
can add even more things to ddle with to that
88% said that they
ever-increasing list of items that take our attention
support laws against
away from the primary task at hand.
reading, typing, or
National Highway Tra c Safety Administration
sending a text message
(NHTSA) reports show that about 8.3 million drivers
or e-mail while driving.
have been involved in crashes related to distracted
Interestingly, this
driving in the last ve years. A recent NHTSA survey
appears to be a "do
found that, while cell phone use was de nitely
as I say, not as I do"
one of the major culprits, other distractions such
kind of scenario. The
as talking with other passengers in the vehicle,
same study found that
changing radios stations, looking for CDs or tapes,
about 26% of those
dealing with children in the rear seat, reading maps
same drivers had
or directions, using GPS devices and eating while
admitted to typing
driving, among other things, are all tasks that can
or sending a text or
dangerously divert our attention from maintaining
e-mail while driving
safe control of a motor vehicle.
within the previous
Most law-enforcement officials would agree
30 days, and 34.7%
DARE to PREPARE EDUCATION EVENT
that texting while driving has become a serious
had read a text or
Learn what you and your teen need to know to prepare for driving in
Pennsylvania. This is a pre-permit program for parents and teens, which provides
critical information teens need to know before they get behind the wheel.
National Highway Tra c
The Presentation Covers: State requirements for obtaining a permit and driver's
Safety Administration
license, Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Components, Parent's role and
(NHTSA) reports show that
responsibility, Statistics on teen driving, Sample parent-teen agreement, Practical
steps on teaching teens to drive
about 8.3 million drivers
have been involved
FREE EVENT ­ OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Reserve your seats: 717-898-6900 x2239
in crashes related to
Be sure to bring your teenage daughter or son
distracted driving in the
Date: June 4 or August 27, 2014 · Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
last ve years.
Location: AAA Central Penn Office ­ 804 Estelle Drive, Lancaster, PA
18
SUMMER 2014

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