Texting behind the wheel is equivalent to driving blindfolded for almost five seconds, say local police and safety officials.
Safe Communities Wellington County (SCWC) and the Wellington County OPP partnered with Parachute for National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW), Oct. 16 to 22, in a program designed to create positive behaviour changes to reduce injury rates among teens.
National Teen Driver Safety Week is an annual public awareness campaign and this year, distracted driving is the primary focus. Distracted driving is a factor in 15 to 19 per cent of all fatal crashes involving teen drivers.
“Imagine driving the length of three football fields at a speed of 50 km/hr while not paying attention. It would last about 27 seconds, which is how long mental distraction can linger after using voice commands on a hands free device. Safe Communities Wellington County and Parachute are calling on all teens to #GetHomeSafe.
“Young people make up just 12 per cent of licensed drivers but account for about 20 per cent of all road-related injuries and deaths,” says SCWC co-chair Gregg Davidson.
“Through NTDSW and community initiatives like Positive Ticketing Blitz across all Wellington County High Schools, we are working to raise awareness about the devastating effects of distracted driving while encouraging young drivers to stay focused on the road.”
During the blitz, 246 positive tickets were distributed to students found to be driving without distraction, obeying the speed limit and wearing a seatbelt properly. The tickets have been entered in to a draw to win a gift card and the winners will be chosen at a later date.
“We often equate distracted driving with using hand-held devices, but our phones aren’t the only distractions behind the wheel,” says Louise Logan, Parachute president and CEO.
“Some drivers are distracted by unconventional activities like changing their clothes. We want young passengers to help curb distractions by speaking up. Doing so can help save your life and the lives of others.”
While eliminating distractions is a key priority, drug-impaired driving is also a concern. A 10-year trend shows one in four Canadian young drivers who died in a motor vehicle crash tested positive for cannabis.
Parachute, in collaboration with SCWC and its national partner State Farm, are encouraging teenagers to participate in #NTDSW activities, programs and events across Canada, including their positive ticketing activity, which promotes and rewards good driving habits among teens. More information is available at parachutecanada.org.
