A recent study sheds light on how parents drive alone versus when they are with their children. The National Safety Council (NSC), Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen?s Association, and the Emergency Responder Safety Institute conducted the study for Distracted Driving Awareness Month (April). The survey featured 1,000 adults age 25 and above who regularly drive with children.

Key Findings

Alone

Perhaps not surprisingly, the study found that parents drive differently when their children are in the vehicle. For example, while driving alone, parents were more likely to look away from the road to adjust different settings on the infotainment screen, like climate, audio, or navigation. About one-third say they will read a text, while more than half admit to regularly or occasionally talking on the phone while driving alone.
?In today?s electronic digital age, it seems impossible for some to resist answering phone calls, responding to text messages, or checking social media,? said Jim Flegel, Special First Lieutenant and Traffic Safety Specialist with the Michigan State Police. ?Sending or reading a text message takes an average of about five seconds, which is enough to travel the length of a football field at 55 mph.?

With Children

However, when children are present, the study finds that nearly all (98 percent) adjust their driving behavior. In other words, parents are far less likely to pay attention to or be distracted by technology when their children are i...