Distracted driving has become a common cause of auto accidents and fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported over 3000 deaths in 2020 attributed to distracted driving. And these distracted driving facts seem to support distracted driving is on the rise.
When driving, many things are distractions: talking on the phone or to a passenger, checking the GPS, looking for a radio station, or watching the scenery go by. Anything that takes the driver’s attention away from the road contributes to distracted driving — and it’s dangerous.
The increased use and prevalence of mobile phones makes one dangerous behavior behind the wheel more common. Texting while driving is especially dangerous since it takes the driver’s attention and focuses it on the screen. It takes longer to read a text than people may think, and many people reply right away, leading to longer gaps in attention to the road.
April is designated Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and so it is the ideal time to share information and facts about distracted driving with your clients.
Share Distracted Driving Facts With Policyholders
Part of your role as an agent or broker is education. Sharing distracted driving facts with your policyholders can help remind them of how dangerous distracted driving is and how they can be more aware of it when they are behind the wheel.
According to the End Distracted Driving campaign, it takes about 4 seconds to read or return a text — and a vehicle going 55mph travels the length of a football field in that 4 seconds. Distracted driving is responsible for more than half of teen accidents. And it’s not just drivers to worry about — about 1 in 5 people killed by distracted driving in 2018 were pedestrians or bicyclists.
Try these helpful resources to help you talk with your policyholders about distracted driving facts:
Download free resources.
The National Safety Council has free resources anyone can use to help promote safe driving during distracted driving awareness month. Download their free toolkit to help you talk with your policyholders. There are posters, social media posts, and a hashtag #JustDrive you can use to promote safe driving.
Talk with your clients about taking a defensive driving course.
Many customers can get a discount between 10-30% off their auto insurance premiums by taking a defensive driving course every few years. You can help your clients find out if they already have the discount applied to their policy, and if not, help them find a defensive driving course to take. Customers may need to retake the course every three years so remind your policyholders to retake the course to keep their discount.
Learn more about telematics discounts.
Many major auto insurance companies are offering their policyholders a discount in exchange for their driving data. Customers can download an app or use a plug-in device that monitors and transmits their driving habits to their insurer. In return, their insurance company offers a 5-40% discount if the customer’s driving behaviors warrant the discount. Policyholders should use caution, though, as their driving habits may not support any discount and may cause an increase in their rates instead.
Focus on policyholders with teen drivers.
Teens are more likely to fall victim to distracted driving accidents. Parents and guardians can use resources to help them talk with their teens about the importance of driving aware. The ‘Drive it Home’ campaign from the NSC gives parents and other adults free resources to help teens.
Join the American Agents Alliance for More Great Resources
Don’t miss another opportunity to reach out to your policyholders with education and opportunities. When you’re a member of the American Agents Alliance, you’ll be the first to know about helpful tips and resources for talking with your customers and opportunities to offer education, like Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Become a member today and learn more about how we’ve been empowering independent agents and brokers to thrive since 1962.
