Distracted driving kills 3,522 people and injures 362,415 per year; that’s 10 people killed and nearly 1,000 injured per day in America.1
A Family Forever Changed
A fun-filled family trip to see Christmas lights at the Texas Motor Speedway turned into tragedy in 2015 because of a driver who was texting behind the wheel. Brother and sister Alex Trejo, 23, and Gabbi Estelle, 19, were killed when the family car they were in came to a stop in traffic on a North Texas highway and a texting driver behind them rammed into them at about 70 miles per hour. Their parents Dee Davila-Estelle and Kevin Estelle were hospitalized with serious injuries, while their brother, 18-year-old Zachary Estelle, escaped with minor cuts and bruises.
Read Their StoryA Life Cut Short
It was supposed to be a night of togetherness and laughs over a late meal for Benjamin Montalvo and his friends, who were riding their bikes to meet Benjamin’s brother after he finished work in Corona, CA. Instead, June 11, 2020, turned into a nightmare for Benjamin’s friends and family when he was hit and killed on his bike by an intoxicated driver who was continuously texting her boyfriend behind the wheel. “My beautiful boy who was just out happily riding a bike with friends, lay in the street in a body bag,” said his mother, Kellie Montalvo. “This scene plays on repeat in my mind. It truly is a living nightmare.”
Read His Story
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TX documentary 'Sidetracked'
‘Sidetracked’: A Documentary on the Brutal Realities of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving can lead to lives forever changed and lives forever lost. Watch the powerful documentary ‘Sidetracked’ produced by Houston Police and sponsored by AAA Texas to better understand how distracted drivers changed the lives of four families. This nearly 23-minute film is meant to encourage drivers to think twice while behind the wheel – because research shows that taking your eyes off of the road for just two seconds doubles your chance of getting into a crash, leading to possible injuries or, worse, death. The odds are even higher when using a smartphone while driving. The documentary is a resource AAA has made available as part of AAA’s multi-year initiative called, ‘Don’t Drive Intoxicated. Don’t Drive Intexticated.’ The goal is to increase the social stigma around texting while driving like the stigma that exists with impaired driving. Put your Phone Down. Lives Depend on it. .
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5 seconds of reading an email is like driving the entire length of a football field blindfolded
Drivers can experience what’s known as the “Hangover Effect” – a lasting mental distraction that can last up to 27 seconds after a driver uses their mobile device – even while stopped at a red light, stop sign, or while their vehicle is parked.
Tips to Help You Prevent Driving Intexticated
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Put it AwayPlace your mobile device out of sight to prevent temptation.
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Know Where You're GoingIf using a navigation system, program your destination before driving.
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Pull OverIf you have to call or text while driving, pull off the road safely and stop first.
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Ask Passengers for HelpIf riding with someone, seek their help to navigate, make a call or send a message.
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Be a Good PassengerSpeak out if the driver of your vehicle is distracted.
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Don't be a DistractionAvoid calling or texting others when you know they are driving.
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Use the Driving Focus Feature While DrivingFor iPhone:
- 1. Go to Settings and select Focus.
- 2. Tap Driving or the + icon if Driving isn’t listed.
- 3. Select Driving, then Customize Focus.
- 4. Scroll to Turn on Automatically.
- 5. Tap While Driving.
- 6. Select Automatically.
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For Android:
- 1. Go to Settings.
- 2. Tap Google, then Personal Safety.
- 3. Select Silence notifications while driving, then toggle the option on.
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Instructions may vary based on your device manufacturer and operating system version.All logos, brands and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Preventing Texting and Driving is
Important to Us
Traffic safety is a fundamental part of our mission to be an advocate for motorists and to make driving safer for everyone on the road. In this priority initiative, we are committed to changing attitudes and behaviors surrounding the deadly problem of drivers who use their smartphones behind the wheel.
Despite texting bans in 48 states, smartphone use behind the wheel is a common problem. New research released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that even though 96 percent of drivers say texting/emailing while driving is a serious or very serious threat to their safety, 39 percent admit to having read a text or email while driving in the past month, and 29 percent admit to typing one.
To combat this dangerous trend, we've launched a multi-year traffic safety education campaign starting in April 2018. Our campaign centers around the theme - Don’t Drive Intoxicated – Don’t Drive Intexticated.
It is designed to help audiences understand the consequences of using a smartphone while driving can be the same as drinking and driving – both can result in crashes, injuries and deaths. The campaign targets drivers who would never consider drinking a beer behind the wheel, and yet, regularly engage with mobile devices that dangerously take their eyes, hands and minds off the road. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to make smartphone use while driving as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving.
1Daily claims are based on annual accidents involving distracted drivers from 2021 data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Distracted driving is any activity (including texting) that diverts attention from the task of safe driving.
Partner with AAA to Save Lives
Help spread awareness of the dangers of distracted driving by taking the pledge to put down your phone while driving.
Tell your family and friends why you #DontDriveIntexticated by creating a personalized pledge card that you can download and share on social media.
Take and share your digital pledge.