We encourage you to share the following information with your family, friends and our members…
Virginia Farm Bureau has joined DRIVE SMART Virginia, the Virginia Highway Safety Office and the Virginia State Police in recognizing April 28th as Distracted Driving Awareness Day in Virginia. Distracted Driving is a growing problem throughout the country and is recognized as a major cause in many roadway crashes. Join Virginia on this day of awareness by making sure you minimize your distractions behind the wheel. Take the online pledge to drive distraction free from now on!
Driving while distracted may be described as any activity that takes one’s eyes and/or mind off of the task of driving. Common distractions behind the wheel include eating or drinking, personal grooming, cell phone use and reading. Since cell phone use while driving occurs the most frequently, it is one of the most dangerous behaviors. While it is not illegal to talk on a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle, it is against the law to text while driving.
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study determined that in 8 of 10 crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes, a distracted driving action occurred within three seconds of the incident. Driving is an activity that requires one’s full attention and focus, and cannot be viewed as “downtime” or a time to return phone calls, text, apply makeup, eat lunch or any of the many activities that distract people. So buckle up, take the pledge, and get on the road to safer driving in Virginia.