According to the Ontario provincial government, deaths from collisions caused by distracted driving have doubled since 2000. As a result, it’s the leading cause of accidents in the province. This accounts for about 64 percent of all accidents, surpassing drunk driving and speeding. Just think, if each driver was to practice safe driving habits, how many accidents and injuries can be prevented in the future? Here are some distracted driving facts and statistics by CAA to show you the impacts of distracted driving.

What are some distracted driving stats?

  • Drivers talking (whether that is hands-free or hand-held) are up to four times as likely to be involved in a crash. When drivers take their eyes off the road for more than two seconds, their crash risk doubles
  • Inattentiveness behind the wheel accounts for 80 percent of collisions and 65 percent of near-crashes. 
  • Approximately four million motor vehicle crashes in North America each year are caused by distracted driving. (RCMP, 2014)
  • 21% of all fatal car accidents are caused by using a phone or another electronic device.
  • One person is injured in a distracted-driving collision every half hour.
  • 47% of all Canadian drivers sometimes use smartphones in traffic.
  • Although up to 87% of drivers know driving while using a cell phone is dangerous, 53% of those drivers still admit to making calls while driving. 45% admit to sending text messages while driving.

Texting and driving

  • If you’re texting while driving, you’re six times more likely to cause an accident.
  • Checking a text for five seconds means that at 90 km/h, you’ve travelled the length of a football field blindfolded.
  • You’re 23 times more likely to get in an accident if you’re texting and driving.
  • Approximately 330,000 injuries are a direct result of texting while driving.
  • If a passenger in the car is distracting the driver with a cell phone, both the driver and the passenger can be charged.
  • Dialing your phone while driving increases your chance of an accident by 2.8 times.

We’ve shown you that it only takes a second for something bad to happen, which is why you always need to be prepared to react. This is why you should refrain from:

  1. Losing focus or being lost in thought
  2. Talking, texting or dialing on your cell phone
  3. Objects, events or people outside the vehicle
  4. Entertaining passengers
  5. Reaching for things outside of your reach (i.e. in a purse or a GPS)
  6. Eating or drinking
  7. Adjusting the radio, climate and vehicle controls
  8. Smoking-related distractions (i.e. lighting up or looking for cigarettes)

THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF DISTRACTED DRIVING

Economic losses caused by traffic collision-related health care costs and lost productivity are at least $10 billion annually.

Remember, good driving habits start with you. We hope these distracted driving facts and stats help you make wise choices behind the wheel.

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