As the holidays approach, the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety is reminding motorists of two simple actions to take to keep everyone safe on the roads during the busy travel season – buckle up and put the phone down.
“With more travelers and pedestrians on and near our roadways visiting loved ones for the holidays, I’m asking everyone to make the safe choice by staying alert, buckling up and putting the phone down,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “These simple actions can help us keep each other safe, whether we’re behind the wheel or walking nearby.”
Over the last 10 years, distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of vehicle crashes on our nation’s roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or mind off the task of driving is a hazard. Texting while driving is especially risky because it combines all three types of distraction – visual, manual, and cognitive.
Data from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Office of Highway Safety shows that each year distracted driving results in more than 40,000 crashes, more than 11,000 injuries and more than 150 deaths.
“The hardest losses to accept are the ones that could have been prevented,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray. “These are real people, not just numbers – lives lost or forever changed because someone made an unsafe choice behind the wheel.”
According to the NHTSA, when worn correctly, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45% for front-seat vehicle occupants and 60% for pickup truck, SUV and minivan occupants. Properly fastened seat belts contact the strongest parts of the body, such as the chest, hips and shoulders. A seat belt spreads the force of a crash over a wide area of the body, putting less stress on any one part.
“Even the safest drivers can be involved in a crash due to someone else’s unsafe choices,” said Secretary Gray. “That’s why buckling up is essential as your first line of defense if a crash occurs.”
According to KOHS, each year in Kentucky, more than half of those killed in motor vehicles are not wearing a seat belt.
For more information, please visit bupdky.com.
Kentucky Office of Highway Safety