TodayApril 15, 2022

April is distracted driver’s month – stop daydreaming

nine Americans die every day

No matter how much technology is in a car, people are still dying. Every day, at least nine Americans die, and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes according to the National Safety Council. Put the phone down, pay attention to the road. April Is Distracted Driver Awareness Month.

The data is from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which includes information from police reports on the causes of fatal car crashes. Erie Insurance consulted with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to analyze the data, which is maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Recent NHTSA data shows that there were 3,166 people killed in distracted driving crashes in 2017. See the NHTSA data here
Through the FARS data, Erie Insurance created a ranked list of more than 84 combinations of days and months associated with daydreaming while driving. Below are the top and bottom five during 2013-17.

The worst days to drive – Top 5 Days/Months for Fatal Daydreaming While Driving Crashes:

1. Saturdays in September

2. Saturdays in May

3. Fridays in October

4. Saturdays in August

5. Fridays in July

The best days to drive – the Bottom 5 Days/Months for Fatal Daydreaming While Driving Crashes:

80. Sundays in December

81. Thursdays in February

82. Mondays in January

83. Wednesdays in February

84. Tuesdays in February

The FARS data is based primarily on police officers’ judgment at the time of a crash, and interviews with those involved.

It doesn’t have to be April for you to be concerned about your driving habits. Keep your eyes on the road, your hands on the wheel, and your attention on where you’re driving. Buy the car with the safest technology for the road in case another driver is daydreaming.

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Lou Ann Hammond

Lou Ann Hammond is the CEO of Carlist and Driving the Nation. She is the co-host of Real Wheels Washington Post carchat every Friday morning and is the Automotive, energy correspondent for The John Batchelor Show and a Contributor to Automotive Electronics magazine headquartered in Korea. Hammond is a founding member of the Women's World Car of the Year #WWCOTY, and board member of the Women in Automotive.

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