I was at a town hall meeting in my neighborhood in late September when Representative Josh Shapiro commented that he hoped a bill would pass before the legislators in PA adjourned in a couple weeks. The bill was a ban on hand held cell phone use and texting while driving. I welcome this ban and hope it does pass.
Texting while driving and talking on a cell phone is something we attribute to our kids. Young drivers do this. . . Think Again!
Distracted drivers and distracted driving does not apply just to our Teens. We all are guilty. How many times are you driving when you see a driver do something dangerous then see that person with a cell phone held up to their ear and driving with only one hand. Drives me nuts! I have seen too many claims that can be attributed to distracted driving.
Distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents. The big accidents like drunk driving and police chases get in the news but there are many more minor and major accidents caused by Distracted Driving.
Some of the common Distracted Driving occurrences:
- Reaching for something in the car
- Looking outside the vehicle
- Eating while driving
- Reading ( I actually saw a driver on the Schuylkill Expressway in bumper to bumper traffic drinking coffee and reading a newspaper as he inched along)
- Applying makeup
- Cell phone use
- Texting
The most common cause of accidents among Teen Drivers is tuning the radio. Here is another major problem for Teen Drivers. Did you know that the likelihood of an accident jumps 5 times when there are 2 or more passengers in your teen driver’s car? And that number skyrockets when there are more than 3! Many states only allow a Teen Driver to have one other passenger in the car with them. Pa does not have this law, but that doesn’t mean you cannot enforce this rule. Have your Teen Driver sign a Teen Driver/Parent Contract. We can send you a sample, just call us at 215-885-2200.
Protect your family by avoiding Distracted Driving. Talk about Distracted Driving with your family. Be a GOOD EXAMPLE to your children. What is the saying. . . The apple does not fall far from the Tree.
At Spencer Insurance we are working on something that will help you discuss Distracted Driving with your family. Stay tuned to learn more about this!
Leave me your comments below about your experiences with Distracted Driving and what you do to discuss this topic with your family.
P.S. I hope you have plenty of life insurance to protect your family if you text or use a cell phone while driving. Call us if you don’t
