{distracted driving} #DecidetoDrive

Tonight, I was driving home from grabbing the family some dinner, and I came to an intersection behind a stopped car. They didn't have their turn signal on, no one was coming, and they weren't moving. After waiting for a few seconds, they turned on their emergency flashers, so I started to slowly drive around them. I looked over to see if the driver needed any help, and she was looking at her phone.

Seriously. Is this becoming a thing? 

When a text is more important than paying attention to the road and your fellow driver? 

She was at least stopped, but that isn't always the case.

A few years ago, our car was totaled when a neighbor looked down for a second, swerved, and hit it head on. It was parked in front of our house thankfully, but she hit the car so hard that it flipped ours into the middle of the street and her air bag deployed. She wasn't seriously hurt, but I can only imagine how the outcome could have been different.

Here is what our car looked like after the accident...

It doesn't look horrible, but it was enough to total the car, and it wasn't drivable. I still miss that little red car.

All it takes is a second. A small distraction like a text, phone call, or even changing the radio station. 

I will admit that I allow myself to be distracted while I'm driving. I'm better about it when the boys are with me, but when I'm alone I can let my phone grab my attention. Lately I've been trying to leave it in my purse, and only check it when I'm stopped, and sometimes not even then.

It just isn't worth the possible consequences.

The Decide to Drive campaign was created by the The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Auto Alliance to increase awareness about the risks of distracted driving.

The Decide to Drive program aims to empower drivers and passengers to speak up about distracted driving, continue the conversation at home, work and play, and reduce distracted behaviors behind the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of the nearly 33,000 roadway fatalities in 2012, there were 3,328 fatalities and approximately 421,000 injuries in distracted driving-related crashes. Scary, huh? To think a lot of those could have been avoided by simply putting down a cell phone? 

The AAOS and the Auto Alliance urges all drivers to keep their most sophisticated safety features engaged at all times: eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. 

Have you experienced a distracted driver moment, either yourself or witnessed one from another driver? I know thinking more about this and the scary statistics will keep me from letting my phone distract me like I have in the past. 

Let's stay safe friends!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

XO,