Drive Now. Text Later.You can't do both. |
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In Illinois | |||
| 2009: | Cell phone distractions were the primary or secondary cause of nearly 1,300 vehicle crashes – an increase of more than 9 percent over 2008. |  | |
| 2010: | Preliminary numbers indicate that cell phone distractions, including texting, were the primary or secondary cause of more than 1,100 crashes. | ||
Nationally | |||
| 2009: | Nearly 5,500 people died in distracted driving-related crashes. | ||
Get the Facts
Download the Fact Sheet
The statistics on distracted driving are alarming:
- Texting while driving increases the likelihood of a crash by 22 times during the period that a driver is sending a text. That translates to a 2,200 percent increase. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA))
- Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Between 4,000 and 8,000 crashes related to distracted driving occur daily in the United States. (NHTSA)
- Distracted driving takes your mind off the road for approximately 4-6 seconds. If driving at 55 mph, that translates to not having your eyes on the road for the distance of one or two football fields. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute) )
- 80 percent of all crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involve some type of distraction. (Virginia Tech 100-Car Naturalistic Study for NHTSA)
- The worst offenders are the youngest and least-experienced drivers: men and women under 20 years of age. (NHTSA)
Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving
- Put your cell phone out of sight and out of reach when you get in the car.
- Display a "Drive Now. Text Later." window decal and remind yourself and others to stop texting while driving. Order your free window decal.
- Pull over to a safe location to use a cell phone.
- If you must answer the phone, use a hands-free device.
- Do not send or read text messages while driving.
- Blackberry users: When in the car, set up a "driving" profile on your smart phone, to silence alerts and the phone.
- To listen to the radio, use the volume and station buttons on the steering wheel, instead of reaching for the center console.
Before you get on the road:
- Load compact discs in the player.
- Set up a pre-selected playlist on an mp3 player.
- Enter an address in the navigation system.
If you must text – visit a Tollway Oasis
Tollway customers who need to send or receive text messages and emails should stop at one of seven oases located along the system. The free Wi-Fi service allows drivers to complete texting and access the Internet so they can focus their full attention on driving when they get back on the road.
For more information about the Tollway Oases.
Other Resources and More Information
- AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
- AAA Distracted Driving FAQs
- Get off the Phone!
- National Safety Council - Distracted Driving Program
- Distraction.Gov - Statistics and Facts about Distracted Driving - Official government site on distracted driving launched by the US Department of Transportation
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - Vehicle Safety Research - NHTSA drowsy and distracted driving research
- Pew Internet and American Life Project (Pew Research Center) - Teens and Distracted Driving Statistics
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - Study showing truckers that text and drive have an accident odds ratio of 23 percent.
- Governors Highway Safety Association - Cell phone driving laws for each state
