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In IIK’s Insurance 101 article about Distracted Driving, we discuss that many states have enacted laws in recent years to deal with distracted driving. The most common distractions discussed are the use of cell phones and texting while driving. These are not the only distractions but they seem to be growing the fastest among all of them.

Following are some facts that demonstrate that distracted driving is a problem:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving claimed 3,166 lives in 2017, including 599 non-occupants (pedestrians, bicyclists, and others).
• In Understanding the Distracted Brain, the National Safety Council had this to say about multitasking: “Multitasking is a myth. Human brains do not perform two tasks at the same time. Instead, the brain handles tasks sequentially, switching between one task and another.”
• According to NHTSA data for 2017, six percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes and eight percent of drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes.

There are currently apps that will not allow a cell phone or apps to be used while a vehicle is in motion. Those apps are based on the premise that the act of talking on a cell phone distracts drivers from the task at hand – driving. While it might be safer to ban all uses of a cell phone while driving, those apps are a step in the right direction.

Another solution is to require that a cell phone must be used hands-free while driving or when paused for traffic. Twenty states and the District of Columbia have already taken this step. HB 255 filed by Rep. James Tipton will allow KY to join those other states by requiring the use of hands-free technology when using a cell phone. Texting will remain a prohibited activity while driving. IIK is working with Rep. Tipton and legislative leaders to pass HB 255 in order to save lives in Kentucky.