Visual — taking your eyes off the road
Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
Cognitive — taking your mind off the task of driving

While many recent campaigns focus on cell phone use, traditional interruptions such as changing the music, eating, or settling arguments between children can be just as distracting, and just as deadly. Distractions can be taken care of later—your life must be taken care of now. Keep yourself and your passengers safe by keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.

• Distracted driving is a factor in 1 out of 4 crashes nationally.
• In 2008, nearly 6,000 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver, and more than half a million were injured.
• The proportion of drivers reportedly distracted at the time of a fatal crash has increased from 8 percent in 2004 to 11 percent in 2008.
• More than 800,000 vehicles are being driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone at any given moment during daylight hours.
• Research shows drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.

Maryland Senate Bill 321 has been signed into law by Governor O'Malley. The new law will prohibit all Maryland drivers from using a Cell Phone without a Hands Free Device while operating a motor vehicle. The fine for a first offense would be $40 and subsequent offenses would be $100. The new law would be a secondary offense, meaning that a driver must first be committing a primary offense such as speeding or reckless driving before they could be ticketed for a Cell Phone offense. The new law is scheduled to go into effect in October, 2010.

Prohibits a person from using a text messaging device to write or send a text message while operating a motor vehicle in motion or in the travel portion of the roadway; specifying exceptions for use of a global positioning system, or text messaging to contact a 9-1-1 system; etc. The Maryland law makes the activity a misdemeanor crime. A civil penalty will be imposed and a fine of not more than $500.00 can be enforced if convicted.

The SHA has disseminated over 38,000 informative Texting Citation Cards to Community Traffic Safety Program’s (CTSP) nearly 100 high schools, government agencies, T-SAFE partners, and public libraries. Approximately 180 public libraries in the state received 200 Texting Citation Cards totaling 36,000 cards distributed statewide in 2009.

The Inattentive Driving Program Coordinator distributed a large amount of the “Being Inattentive” tip card, eye glass repair kits, and the Choose Safety for Life campaign material. A “Fast, Furious Finished” busback advertisement was placed on Frederick County Buses for a three month span.

Materials were distributed at events illustrating the dangers of inattentive driving in addition to an article published in the Carroll County Times.

• Pull off the road to a safe area if you must make or receive a call.
• Ask a passenger to make or take a call for you.
• Do not engage in stressful or emotional conversations while driving.
• Avoid eating while driving. Finishing your breakfast on the way to work or school may seem like a time-saver, but it means you are less attentive to the drivers around you. Food spills are a major cause of distraction.
• Pull safely off the road and out of traffic to care for or manage children.
• Review maps and driving directions before hitting the road.
• Do your personal grooming at home - not in the car.
• Do not drive if you are drowsy, even if it means reworking your scheduled plans.
• If you are traveling with pets, do not allow them to sit in your lap.