Drive Safely. Don’t Be Distracted. #DecideToDrive

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“Drive Safely.”  Two words we tend to say to people as they walk out the door. 

25 years ago when I got first got my driver’s license, “Drive Safely” to me meant:

* Don’t put on lipstick at the stop light.
* Keep the music at a decent volume.
* This was not the time to be gabbing with my friends, and
* Watch out for the other driver’s on the road who are doing the above.

When I became a mom six years later and was driving my daughter around, “Drive Safely” meant all those things, plus:

* The Starbucks I got at the drive through could get cold.
* The Barney CD would have to be played on repeat rather than reaching over to find another and change it.
* Realizing that I would have to wait until I got to my destination to see if I left “blankie” at home.

Even now at 40 when I’m going out, my husband still tells me to Drive Safely.  I’d like to think I’m a seasoned enough driver at this point to believe that I’m not the problem on the road, it’s everyone else who is.  But really I know that’s not true and at this juncture of my life Drive Safely means:

* Putting the phone away while I’m driving.

The reality is all of those things I mentioned above are potential distractions that keep me from focusing on driving and being aware of my surroundings.  My mom always told me “Your car is not a beauty parlor, restaurant or phone booth.”  And this is why we all need to put the distractions away and #DecideToDrive:

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of the nearly 33,000 roadway fatalities in 2012, there were 3,328 fatalities and approximately 421,000 injuries in distracted driving-related crashes.

When I’m behind the wheel before I start the car, I put my phone in my purse and place it in the back seat and in silent mode.  If I need the GPS, all the other features on the phone are on “Do Not Disturb.”  No text, Facebook update or Tweet is important enough for me to make someone else or myself become a statistic like that.

DECIDE TO DRIVE

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Auto Alliance want to increase awareness about the risks of distracted driving.  The Decide to Drive program aims to empower drivers and passengers to speak up about distracted driving, continue the conversation at home, work and play, and reduce distracted behaviors behind the wheel.

Orthopaedic surgeons—the specialists who put bones and limbs back together after road crashes and traumas—along with our partners, the automakers, would rather help all drivers “decide to drive” each time they get in the car and to keep bones and limbs intact.  Remember, the most advanced safety feature of any vehicle is the driver. The AAOS and the Auto Alliance urges all drivers to keep their most sophisticated safety features engaged at all times: eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

To learn more about this campaign you can connect with The Auto Alliance, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Decide To Drive.

How do you Decide to Drive?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.