Simulator to deter teens from driving distracted

Apr 23, 2010 10:30 AM

Distracted driving--texting, using cell phones and other electronics while driving--has become a major safety issue especially for teen drivers. Studies show that the under-20 age group has the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes at 16 percent. To help prevent these deaths and accidents, Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation based in Massachusetts recently launched the Distractology 101 tour aimed at giving young drivers a closer look at the potentially dangerous and deadly effects of distracted driving.

The group unveiled a 36-foot long neon yellow mobile trailer with two driving simulators for teens to try their hand in a variety of real-world scenarios that illustrate the dangers of distracted driving. The tour will help novice drivers learn to stay focused on various driving situations and stay safe on the road.

The trailer will visit various locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for the next three years.

Arbella teamed with labs from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to develop the program and produce the real-world driving simulators. The goal is to put 10,000 novice drivers through the program, which includes the simulator training as well as an online curriculum and safe driving pledge. Take a look at the video for a demonstration on how it works. For more information about this program and tour stops, visit DistractU.com.

Studies show that the effects of distracted driving are similar to driving while drunk. Data from the National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA) shows that almost 6,000 people were killed and more than a half million injured in 2008 as a result of distracted driving. Other studies have shown that the risk of crashing while texting is 23 times higher than driving while drunk. Currently, six states, plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have a hand-held cell phone ban. Text messaging is banned in 23 states, plus Washington D.C. and the use of all cell phones by novice drivers is banned in 24 states as well as D.C.

For more information on distracted driving see our blog section and related reports.

—Liza Barth

Also read:
Hands-free cell phone laws: Are they effective?
Should cell phone use by drivers be illegal?
Distracted Driving Summit: The hands-free debate
Cell phone use and driving laws
Government study exposes cell phone driving dangers