“Entirely preventable:” Wauwatosa Police raises awareness on distracted driving

NOW: “Entirely preventable:” Wauwatosa Police raises awareness on distracted driving
NEXT:

WAUWATOSA (CBS 58) – Wauwatosa Police is asking drivers to limit their distractions and focus on the road.

April is distracted driving awareness month.

 “There are a lot of crashes that happen because of distracted driving. It’s something that is entirely preventable. We want the public to know that if they take it upon themselves to limit their own distractions it will go along for safety for everyone,” said Sgt. Katie Gierach, Wauwatosa Police.

Distracted drivers can cause serious injury or death.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 people are killed in the U.S. every day as a result of a crash involving a distracted driver.

Data analyzed by Erie Insurance found that the number one cause for fatal distracted driver accidents is daydreaming followed by cell phone use.

“Everybody does to a certain extent but they  are not aware they are doing it. That’s one of the reasons for our analysis is to make people aware - just generally being distracted or daydreaming while behind the wheel is a dangerous activity and it does cost lives every year,” said Jon Bloom, Erie Insurance.

Other distractions on the list include:

  • Daydreaming or “lost in thought”
  • Cell phone use
  • Outside person, object or event (rubbernecking)
  • Talking with or looking at other people in car
  • Using or reaching for device in vehicle

For daydreaming, experts recommend keeping the mind active by listening to podcasts and carpooling.

There are also apps that can prevent drivers from using their phones while on the road. Click here to see a list of apps. 

Share this article: