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mighty kids The vehicle is a heavy piece of machinery capable of
doing immense damage to others and themselves.

MAKE THEM
MAKE THEM
AWARE OF THE
FOLLOWING DMV
STATISTICS:
• When you send a
text, you take your eyes
off the road for about
5 seconds. That's the
time it takes to drive
the length of a football
field going 55 MPH!
(U.S. Department of
Distracted • Distracted driving
Transportation).

accounts for 9 deaths
DRIVING every day - deaths
that are completely
preventable simply
by keeping your eyes
on the road and your
hands on the wheel.
By Liz McGehee
ccording to phone. The Department motion, they’ll undoubtedly • At any moment
the National of Motor Vehicles (DMV) see these behaviors as during the daylight
Highway says, distracted driving acceptable and mimic hours, about 660,000
ATraffic Safety includes eating and drinking, you. Another way you drivers are handling
Administration (NHTSA), checking email, posting can help your teen is by cell phones or other
distracted driving claimed on social media, taking downloading apps that limit electronic devices
3,477 lives and caused photos, changing your phone usage when driving. while driving in
391,000 injuries in 2015 music, reaching for your DMV.org suggests these the U.S. (National
with teens as the largest phone, putting makeup on, four apps: LifeSaver, AT&T Highway Traffic Safety
group reported as grooming, checking your DriveMode, TrueMotion Administration).
distracted at the time of GPS or map and using apps. Family and Mojo.
fatal crashes. More troubling Most of us are more You should also talk to • You are 3 times
are the 660,000 drivers the than a little guilty of a few your teen. Before getting more likely to get
NHTSA claims are using of these offenses, which behind the wheel alone, into an accident when
electronic devices while is why it’s crucial to set a they need to understand distracted driving
driving during the day. good example for your that a vehicle is a heavy by manipulating a
But distracted driving teen. If they see you eating piece of machinery capable mobile device (Virginia
isn’t merely just texting and driving or fiddling of doing immense damage Tech Transportation
or making calls on your with the GPS while in to others and themselves. Institute).

8 INSPIRE HEALTH February § March 2018