What is Distracted Driving?

Distractions are EVERYWHERE! Distracted driving is ANY activity that takes a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.

Three types of distractions are:

  • Visual (Eyes off the road)
  • Cognitive (Mind off the road)
  • Manual (Hands off the steering wheel)

Distractions can include:

  • Eating or Drinking
  • Talking with passengers
  • Grooming
  • Reading
  • Using a navigation system
  • Adjusting a radio / CD player / playlist
  • Watching a video

Text messaging when driving produces all three types of distractions; visual, manual and cognitive. Texting takes the driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. At 55mph that is the same distance covered as an entire football field.

In Washington state, each year the average death toll from distracted driving is 152 lives lost. Distracted driving accounts for over 25% of all traffic fatalities.

South Beach Regional Fire Authority offers training to students in an effort to reduce the number of distracted driving incidents.

IMPACT TEEN DRIVERS is a curriculum used to deliver the important messages of safety and responsibility to our teen drivers.

For more information, please visit www.impactteendrivers.org

If you are interested in having South Beach RFA  educators present this program to your group of teen/young adults, please contact our South Beach RFA office @ 360-268-9832 or contact us through our public education webmail address at [email protected]