“Distracted driving can have devastating penalties for households and communities, with accidents, accidents and fatalities on the rise,” stated Michael Klein, govt vice chairman and president of private insurance coverage at Vacationers. “Avoiding distractions whereas driving is extra than simply frequent sense – it’s a accountable and demanding step in defending lives and selling public well being.”

Seventy % of survey respondents stated they imagine distracted driving is a higher drawback now than it has been over the previous few years, Vacationers stated. That discovering is supported by estimates from the Nationwide Security Council, which discovered that deaths from preventable visitors crashes have been up 18% from pre-pandemic ranges in 2022.

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State Farm and Allstate just lately introduced vital hikes to their automotive insurance coverage charges, citing the rising severity of auto accidents as one cause for the choice.

The next are highlights from the Vacationers survey:

Know-how

Digital units have been among the many main causes of distraction, the survey discovered. Actions that survey respondents acknowledged partaking in whereas driving included:

• Making and receiving calls (80%)
• Utilizing handheld units (57%)
• Posting social media updates (28%)
• Taking photographs or movies (27%)

Employers additionally cited know-how use whereas driving as a difficulty, with greater than 30% of executives (a 19% spike from final yr) reporting that their workers had been concerned in crashes whereas driving for enterprise on account of distractions attributable to their cellular units.

Drowsiness, heightened feelings and work-related stress

The survey additionally discovered that emotional distraction, drowsiness and work-related stress have been all vital contributors to unsafe driving conduct. Greater than 75% of respondents stated they’d skilled stress or intense feelings whereas driving, and 62% admitted to having pushed whereas drowsy.

Thirty-seven % of staff additionally admitted to having taken work-related calls, texts or emails whereas driving. When requested why, 44% stated it is perhaps a work-related emergency, and 43% stated they felt obligated to at all times be obtainable.

Security suggestions

Survey respondents highlighted a number of methods that might assist them stay targeted whereas driving, together with:

• A passenger requesting that the driving force not use the telephone (84%)
• A monetary reward for not utilizing the telephone whereas driving (83%)
• An auto insurance coverage low cost (82%)
• Elevated financial fines (81%)

“Driving is a collection of micro-decisions made in fast succession all through the course of a visit,” stated Chris Hayes, assistant vice chairman of staff’ compensation and transportation, threat management, at Vacationers. “Any kind of distraction – a tool, a sleepless night time or stress – could make the distinction between reaching your vacation spot safely or not. We are able to all assist make our roads safer by taking easy steps, comparable to placing our telephones in ‘don’t disturb’ mode, talking up once we see a driver partaking in harmful behaviors and never calling coworkers once we know that they’re behind the wheel.”

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