NASCAR driver Kyle Petty races Principal Barry Blair while trying to text at a DWD event at the New Technology High School at Garinger, N.C. (Petty won the contest, but even as a professional driver, he struggled to stay on the track while texting.)

Distracted drivers account for nearly four out of five crashes in the United States.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Photo courtesy of Nationwide

Nationwide, NASCAR urge teens to 'hang up and drive'

Distractions that take a driver’s eyes off the road even for just seconds put drivers and their passengers at great risk.

Feel like you’re the only one on the road not talking or texting on a cell phone? Odds are, you’re probably right.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans admit they drive while distracted by activities such as talking on the phone, texting or fiddling with an MP3 player, according to a survey by Nationwide Insurance.

The problem is especially bad for young drivers. In a 2008 survey, Nationwide found that nearly 40 percent of the teenagers and young adults surveyed admitted they send and receive text messages while driving – the same percentage of those questioned who said they have been hit or almost hit by another car whose driver was talking on a cell phone.

“Clearly, distracted driving has taken over our roadways and Nationwide wants to educate all drivers that they need to focus on the road, not on their technology, when behind the wheel,” said Bill Windsor, associate vice president of safety for Nationwide Insurance. “Text messaging comes natural to Gen Y-ers. However, multitasking while behind the wheel is quite different from multitasking while sitting at home.”
In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says distracted drivers account for nearly four out of five crashes in the United States.

That’s why Nationwide Insurance has teamed up with NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers, including Kyle Petty, to hold events at high schools across the country to drive home the message that multitasking behind the wheel puts drivers and their fellow motorists at risk. At these events, students learn how these distractions impact their driving when they are challenged to race in a NASCAR simulator while texting on a cell phone.

“I am really excited to be a part of this campaign. Young drivers today are faced with more distractions than ever before, and diverting their attention away from the road with cell phone calls and text messages creates a very dangerous situation,” Petty said. “It is important for young adults to learn about the risks associated with distracted driving. If we can raise awareness on this particular subject, I believe we can save lives.”

For several years now, Nationwide has been leading the charge against Driving While Distracted (DWD) – which includes talking and texting on cell phones. Windsor said Nationwide’s efforts represent more than just a public awareness campaign. “We want to be a part of the solution to this emerging and dangerous social trend,” he said.

To help, Nationwide and the National Safety Council developed NationwideSmartRide.com, a Web site to provide parents and teens free tools and resources to help develop safe drivers and reinforce smart behavior.
“Nationwide believes we can make our roads a safer place to drive by finding solutions to the DWD problem through legislation, public awareness and encouraging the development of new technology,” Windsor said. “In addition to saving lives, fewer crashes could result in lower auto insurance costs.”

Ohio Farm Bureau is a sponsor of Nationwide, and endorses Nationwide policies, many of which are discounted for members of Ohio Farm Bureau. Please ask a nearby agent for more details, or visit www.nationwide.com/ofbf.