Avoiding accidents by limiting distractions and driving defensively

Objective To make all employees aware that distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Background All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety Stay very alert on the road, and pay good attention to the other drivers SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Background In 2010, 3092 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver An estimated additional 416,000 were injured 18% of injury crashes in 2010 were reported as distraction-affected crashes SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Background Drivers who use hand-held devices, like cell phones, are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 1: Pay attention “I never saw him!" is the most common excuse heard after a collision Virtually all collisions involve the inattention of one or both drivers SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 2: Don't trust anyone Never rely on what other drivers will do Other drivers are just like us! They have things going on in their lives that distract them Don't trust other drivers to drive defensively SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 3: Yield anyway “Nobody ever yielded their way into a collision“ No one has the right-of-way until it is yielded to them SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 4 : Know your blind spots It should make you uncomfortable if you are driving in someone else’s blind spot! Virtually all vehicles have blind areas— even motorcycles and especially trucks Where are your blind spots? SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 5: Don’t speed Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to vehicle crashes The economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated by NHTSA to be $40.4 billion per year On average, speeding is a contributing factor in approximately 30% of all fatal crashes, and 14,000 fatalities annually SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 6: Stay off the phone Talking on a cell phone while driving can be just as dangerous as driving impaired Cell phone use while driving is rapidly becoming one of the leading causes of accidents And, of course, no texting! SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 7: Wear your seat belt Seat belts are the most significant safety device ever invented Provide impact protection, absorb crash forces, and keep you from being thrown out of the vehicle SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 8: Look down the road Keep your eyes UP and looking down the road You should be looking about seconds ahead of your vehicle Look even farther if you can SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 9: Drive to communicate Make sure to signal ALL turns Signal your intention at least 4-10 seconds in advance Turn on your headlights in the daytime SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

10 rules for defensive driving Rule 10: Beware of intersections Look 10 seconds ahead to anticipate changing traffic signals Keep 10 feet back from the stop line Make sure you can see under the tires of the vehicle in front of you Use a 3-4 second delay prior to taking off and changing lanes SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Review It is important to remember that we all have someone waiting for us to arrive safely Avoid ALL distractions when driving SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Review Look 15 – 20 seconds down the road to know what’s happening ahead of you Be aware of other drivers Don’t assume they will drive safely SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Review 10 rules for defensive driving Pay attention Don’t trust anyone Yield anyway Know your blind spots Don’t speed SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Review 10 rules for defensive driving Stay off the phone Wear your seat belt Look down the road Drive to communicate Beware of intersections SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.