Distracted driving crash videos
AAA Texas gathered with the City of Houston’s Vision Zero Program, Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Allie’s Way Foundation to push for drivers to get off their smartphones when behind the wheel. The group also encouraged drivers to learn how to use Driving Focus features on smartphones, which are designed to prevent incoming calls and texts while a vehicle is in motion. This effort comes at the start of April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
According to the latest statistics available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), fatalities from distracted driving crashes increased by 12 percent from 3,154 in 2020 to 3,522 in 2021, a total of 8.2 percent of all fatalities reported. Even with these high numbers, distraction is likely underreported because the behavior is difficult to detect during crash investigations, and police reports likely understate its incidence.
In Texas last year, 483 people lost their lives reportedly to distracted driving, according to preliminary Texas Department of Transportation statistics. That is a 12 percent increase from the prior year when it comes to deaths from distracted driving. Suspected serious injuries in 2022 were slightly fewer when compared to 2021 with more than 2,800 reported.
“Using a smartphone behind the wheel is a threat to everyone who uses our roadways,” said AAA Texas Spokesperson Joshua Zuber. “Even though it is against the law to text and drive in Texas, it is apparent many drivers are still practicing this unsafe behavior.”
Driving 55 miles per hour and taking your eyes off the road for five seconds is like traveling the length of a football field blindfolded. Law enforcement officers watch out for distracted drivers on our roadways, but they can’t be everywhere to catch every violation.
AAA Texas continues a campaign it began in 2018 to increase the social stigma of using a smartphone while driving, like the stigma that exists with alcohol-impaired driving. As part of the campaign called, “Don’t Drive Intoxicated. Don’t Drive Intexticated.” market researchers conducted a survey of drivers across the country about their knowledge of and use of Driving Focus features, which are smartphone apps that use sensors and proximity to known network connections to detect driving. The apps generally work when the vehicles are in motion and can silence the phone, redirect incoming calls to voicemails or respond to text message with a preprogrammed message. However, users must opt in to activate the apps.
The AAA survey found even though 81% of drivers across the U.S. are aware of Driving Focus features on their phones, 54% have never used the features. The survey also found that of those who are aware of the Driving Focus features, the biggest users are people 18 to 29-years- old who say they usually, or sometimes, use it while driving (59%).
Among all drivers who DO NOT enable the Driving Focus features while driving, the primary reasons they gave for not using them are:
•Able to ignore my smartphone while driving
•Use Bluetooth if I need to answer a call
•Don’t think to turn it on
•Need to be reachable in case of an emergency (kids, family, work, etc.)
However, the latest Driving Focus (iPhones) and Drive Focus (Android) features on smartphones do address many drivers’ concerns. These newer features will:
• Automatically enable when connected to vehicle’s Bluetooth
• Allow repeat calls to be received (in emergencies)
• Set contact exemption rules allowing calls/texts from select contacts in your phonebook
• Allow all messages/calls but only allow interaction via Bluetooth
In an effort to combat distracted driving, Jamie White founded a non-profit “Allie’s Way,” which is named after her two-year-old daughter, who was killed by a distracted driver holding a cell phone to her face while in a parking lot in Round Rock. “I hope that by sharing Allie's tragic story, we can prevent another family from suffering this same devastation,” White said. “We have to put an end to distracted driving fatalities that are completely preventable. This has to end now!”
Teens in the Driver Seat, created in 2002 by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), is a peer-to-peer youth traffic safety outreach program available for free to high schools and middle schools in Texas. The student-led program focuses on the top five risk factors for young drivers: distractions, nighttime driving, speeding, low seat belt use, and impaired driving and allows schools the opportunity to earn up to $1,500 each year by actively participating. To address the prevalence of youth distracted driving, TTI also developed a smartphone app called You in the Driver Seat that rewards young drivers (ages 16-25) with gift cards for driving distraction-free by instilling the idea that Responsibility has its Rewards®. A recent analysis showed that with long-term use of the app, young drivers experienced a 20 percent reduction in distracted driving. The You in the Driver Seat app is available for free on the Apple and Android play stores.
In partnership with AAA Texas, the City of Houston Vision Zero hosted the premiere of the documentary “Sidetracked” which focused on distracted drivers. To further that commitment to combat distracted driving, we are presenting the Houston Vision Zero Action Plan across the City at super neighborhood meetings and community events. We focus on socially vulnerable communities like the Mayor’s Complete Communities, and on our most vulnerable travelers, as traffic violence impacts these people and places most often. Vision Zero also launched a coloring and activity book to educate kids about traffic safety and dedicated a page on distracted drivers to help our children to encourage their parents to drive safer. The City of Houston is working to build safer streets for everyone, since releasing the plan, they’ve constructed 235 miles of sidewalk, 1033 new accessible curb ramps, and 71 miles of bikeways.
To stay focused behind the wheel and prevent driving “intexticated,” AAA Texas recommends:
- Use the Driving Focus features on your smartphone.
- Pull over if you must call or text someone.
- Speak up if the driver of your vehicle is distracted.
- Put it away. Place your mobile device out of sight to prevent temptation.
- Know where you’re going. If using GPS, program the destination before driving.
- Ask passengers for help. If with someone, ask for help to navigate, make a call or text.
- Don’t be a distraction. Avoid calling or texting others when you know they are driving.
For more information about the AAA Texas’ “Don’t Drive Intoxicated. Don’t Drive Intexticated.” campaign visit aaa.com/dontdrivedistracted to read real stories of lives impacted by distracted driving, watch PSAs, and view a distracted driving documentary called “Sidetracked.”