With the potential rise in the cost of auto insurance, policyholders can’t afford an accident due to distracted driving right now. Agents and brokers can help play a role in risk mitigation by offering educational resources and talking with their policyholders to provide distracted driving awareness tips. Read on to learn more about how to help with the initiative to reduce incidents of distracted driving.
Distracted Driving Awareness Tips For Auto Insurance Policyholders
We often think of distracted driving as texting, talking on the phone, or using a mobile phone to read news or watch YouTube while driving. And all of these issues are serious examples of distracted driving. But several others are less commonly considered but still significant causes of distracted driving, like:
- Talking with passengers inside the vehicle
- Watching GPS navigation directions
- Drinking coffee or soda
- Eating
- Changing the radio station or playlist
- Interacting with children in the backseat
- Putting on makeup or shaving
- Having a pet on the driver’s lap or loose in the vehicle
- Being lost and searching for an address or landmark on the side of the road
- Vaping or smoking
- Daydreaming
April is deemed Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and as such, it is a good time for agents and brokers to review safety and educational tips with their policyholders. Here are some ways to engage this month with policyholders to offer information:
Give policyholders statistics to back up educational materials.
If you send educational information in emails or SMS, consider adding some relevant statistics to support your message. A few well-chosen statistics can often be more effective than paragraphs of text.
Personalize the message for your policyholders.
Consider the various distracted driving scenarios mentioned above, then personalize communications for your policyholders depending on their most likely distraction. Of course, using a mobile phone is a top distraction for many people, but make sure to talk about the less obvious ones. For example, an agent could talk with their policyholder with young children about how to reduce distractions when driving with their child in the vehicle.
Discuss how technology can also be a solution to distracted driving.
Technology plays a role in distracting drivers, but it can also be used to help reduce distractions. Educate policyholders about putting their phone on “do not disturb” mode to avoid the distraction of incoming messages. Talk to them about apps they can use to block texts and calls and about hands-free dashboard mounts to make it easier to use GPS.
Provide information about insurer programs that reward safer driving.
Many personal insurance companies provide discounts to safe drivers. Some of these include:
- Discount for taking a defensive driving course
- Telematics programs to share driving data for a reduction in premiums when certain parameters are met
- Accident forgiveness for drivers with a clean driving history
- Discount for students who earn good grades and remain accident-free
Make sure to talk with policyholders to maximize their discounts to help them benefit from being a safe, distraction-free driver.
Attend the American Agents Alliance 2025 Conference & Expo For More Helpful Information
To discuss more topics designed specifically for independent agents and brokers, plan to attend The American Agents Alliance 2025 Conference & Expo in Palm Desert, California, from September 25-27, 2025. Registration opens soon!
External Links:
- https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/put-the-phone-away-or-pay-campaign-2025#:~:text=April%20is%20also%20National%20Distracted,its%20forms%20behind%20the%20wheel.
- https://blog.americansafetycouncil.com/6-apps-that-help-prevent-texting-while-driving/
- https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/recreational-vehicles-and-trailers-handbook-2011/defensive-driving-techniques-for-all-drivers/
