TIP OF THE WEEK
Date: April 16, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sheriff Curtis Landers
541-265-0654
lcsheriff@co.lincoln.or.us
DISTRACTED DRIVING
This week's tip regarding distracted driving is especially important. The information comes from Oregon Impact.org. So what is Distracted Driving? It is any activity that takes the driver’s attention away from the primary task of driving in any of the following four ways:
• Visually (keeping your eyes on the road)
• Manually (keeping your hands on the steering wheel)
• Cognitively (keeping your mind focused on driving)
• Auditorily (hearing something not related to driving)
Eating, talking with passengers, grooming, watching a video, using a navigation system, and reading are all significant distractions; but cell phone use is the most dangerous because it distracts focus in all four ways: visually, manually, cognitively, and auditorily.
Texting and driving is one of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving. So much so that the National Safety Council has declared April as "Distracted Driving Awareness Month". At any given moment across America, drivers are using or manipulating electronic devices while driving. Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America’s roadways. From 2014-2018 there were 13,603 fatal and injury crashes that involved distracted drivers (all ages). Our youngest and most inexperienced drivers are most at risk: 10% of all distracted driving crashes involve drivers under the age of 20.
We urge drivers to learn more about the dangers of distracted driving and to take the following pledge to always drive free of distractions.
Take The Pledge
I pledge to:
• Protect lives by never texting, talking on a cell phone, reading, watching a video, or grooming while driving.
• Be a good passenger and speak out if the driver in my car is distracted.
• Encourage my friends and family to drive distraction-free.
For more information and tips, visit our website at www.lincolncountysheriff.net and Like us on Facebook at Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Oregon.