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Distracted Driving Goes Beyond Just Texting

Did you know that every province and territory in Canada except Nunavut have tough rules prohibiting distracted driving and the use of hand-held devices while driving? While no province or territory bans the outright use of cellphones while driving, each province and territory penalizes distracted driving differently. Penalties for distracted driving range from the loss of 3 to 5 demerit points to fines between $100 and $1000 per offence.

If you drive a motor vehicle, chances are you are one of many Canadians who drive distracted. In fact, the Insurance Board of Canada found that nearly three out of four Canadian drivers admit to driving distracted.

But distracted driving goes beyond just texting, read for more information.

What is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving compromises the safety of the driver, passengers, bystanders and other vehicles. Distracted driving is engaging in activities besides the act of driving a vehicle. It could include, but not limited to, visual, manual or cognitive activities.

A visual distraction takes your eyes off the road, even for a few seconds. Playing with your radio, checking your phone or even turning around to check on your children can be visual distractions. Texting while driving is a growing visual distraction trend. The IBC also states that you are 23x more likely to get into a collision if you text while driving.

A manual distraction takes your hands off the steering wheel. Some newer models include lane departure warnings and autonomous features, but they should not be relied upon while reaching for a coffee. Keep your hands on the wheel or you could jeopardize your safety and others’.

A cognitive distraction is when your mind is off somewhere else. You may be thinking about what’s for dinner, whether you paid your electricity bill, or you may be talking hands free on speaker phone.

Ablog article published on the CBC website quoted the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) research that found that distracted driving is a factor in four million crashes every year in North America. TheCanadian Council of Motor Transportation Administrators found that in 80% of collisions, the driver had looked away from the road 3 seconds prior to the crash.

How to Avoid The Hazards of Driving

Eating, children in the backseat, incoming phone calls and text messages are all contributing factors of distracted driving. It is important to stay focused on your responsibilities on the road. Do not compromise the safety of your passengers, bystanders and other vehicles. If you need to pull over to tend to a crying child, answer a call or address an issue, please do so instead of trying to multitask.

The Palladium Insurance don’t txt + drv Pledge

At Palladium Insurance, we commit to fight to end distracted driving. Everyone is responsible for road safety. We encourage you to visit ourautomotive page and take the don’t txt + drv pledge. Pledge to leave your phone alone while driving and kick distracted driving to the curb.