Phoenix students at Arcadia High School were recently tested on their ability to text and drive via a distracted driving simulator. The program is part of a national campaign sponsored by insurance company Allstate and was designed to demonstrate the dangers of distracted driving. The program arrived at the Arcadia High School campus the day before prom.
Hard to Text and Drive in Simulator
“It’s harder to text and drive. You don’t really concentrate that well,” said Junior Fernando Sanchez. He was the first Arcadia student to try the simulation. A group of his classmates watched as he crashed his car into a pedestrian – luckily, he was on the simulator.
National Campaign
The campaign by insurance company, Allstate, will be stopping in 40 cities across the nation. Allstate Agent Misty Everette says nearly 2,000 people have tried the simulator so far. “They are expected to maintain a speed of 45 miles an hour and text at the same time or talk on the phone. Nobody has completed the program successfully. Everybody crashes,” said Everette.
Distracted Driving in Arizona
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 3,000 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in 2012. “Distracted Driving” is defined as any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. This includes not only texting, but also eating, drinking, reading, grooming, watching a video, and adjusting the radio while driving. Arizona is just one of three states that does not have some kind of texting while driving ban. Earlier this year a bill was introduced that would have prohibited phone use for new drivers. It failed to pass the legislature. Hopefully, campaigns such as Allstate’s simulator will help enforce the importance of driving without distractions.
If you’ve suffered from a distracted driving accident caused by cell phones, you need the expert advice of distracted driving accident attorneys such as those at Personal Injury Attorneys PLLC.
Source: KJzz, Phoenix Students Try Distracted Driving Simulator, May 2, 2014
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