According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio experienced four consecutive years of rising traffic crashes and deaths between 2013 and 2017. Travelers recently commissioned a survey of 500 Cincinnati-area drivers in which 73 percent said they use their mobile device while driving, compared to the 68 percent of drivers across the country who admitted to the same behavior in the 2019 Travelers Risk Index.
Reasons drivers might use their mobile device while driving range from the fear of missing something important (20 percent) to being unable to resist the urge to check the phone (15 percent).
“Although a third of the drivers surveyed said that having access to communication-blocking technology would deter them from distracted driving, less than a quarter actually use it,” said Joan Woodward, president of the Travelers Institute and executive vice president of public policy at Travelers. “No one checks their phone with the intent of causing a crash, but it happens with alarming frequency. Education is key to changing attitudes and behaviors.”
Featured image: Nearly 75 attendees attended “Harnessing Psychology, Tech and Innovation to Combat Distracted Driving," a symposium exploring the sources and costs of distracted driving/Photo courtesy Quinn Villareal and Travelers Institute.