What: As drivers stop to fill up for gas during this summer of record-breaking road travel, AAA is reminding them to put their phones down while driving. AAA has placed important safety reminders aimed at changing attitudes and behaviors surrounding the deadly problem of distracted driving at unlikely places: gas pumps.

AAA’s “Don’t Drive Intexticated.” initiative 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 driving.

When: Thursday, July 25th; contact Mark Madeja, (918) 935-9318 to schedule

Where: Murphy USA Gas Station, 7932 S. Lewis Ave., (81st St. & S. Lewis)

Background:

• 9 people each day are killed in the U.S. and 1,000 are injured in crashes where distracted driving occurred
• Nearly 97% of motorists believe mobile device use while driving is an extremely or very dangerous behavior, about the same number (95.1%) that view driving while intoxicated to be extremely or very dangerous.
• That did not stop over 41.3% from admitting they had read texts or emails on their phone at least once in the past 30 days. 32.1% said they had typed on their devices while driving (according to results of the newly released AAA Foundation’s annual Traffic Safety Culture Index*, which identifies attitudes and behaviors related to traffic safety.)
• Novice Teen Drivers + Technology = 100 Deadliest Days

Crashes involving teen drivers spike in summer in what AAA Oklahoma calls the “100 Deadliest Days”. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2017, wrecks on state roads involving teen drivers took the lives of 29 people (according to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office.) Some 59% of all teen crashes involve some form of driver inattention.

Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving:

• Put it away. Place your mobile device out of sight to prevent temptation. Set up “do not disturb while driving” features or apps to hold calls and texts and relay messages to those trying to contact you while driving.
• Know where you’re going. If using a navigation system, program the destination before driving.
•  Pull over. If you have to call or text while on the road, pull off the road safely and stop first.
• Ask passengers for help. If riding with someone, seek their help to navigate, make a call or send a message.
• Be a good passenger. Speak out if the driver of your vehicle is distracted.
• Don’t be a distraction.  Avoid calling or texting others when you know they are driving.
• Intextication is risky for those walking, too. Just as drivers need to pay attention, so do pedestrians and bicyclists. Never call, text or play games while walking or cycling.

*Survey results were released June 19, 2019, as part of the AAA Foundation’s annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, which identifies attitudes and behaviors related to traffic safety. The survey data are from a sample of 2,582 licensed drivers ages 16 and older who reported driving in the past 30 days. www.AAAFoundation.org

Driving comparison PSAs: “Intoxicated or Intexticated” https://vimeo.com/283520390     https://vimeo.com/261524390

B-roll: Teens Learning to Drive    Distracted Teen Drivers