Sources: BusinessWire.com; QuoteWizard.com; MarketWatch.com
According to a Life360 study, New Jersey ranks number one in the country for most distracted drivers.
New Jersey Department of Transportation cell phone usage crash data and county population data shows crashes related to cell phone usage shows a 29% increase in crashes related to cell phone usage from 2011 to 2016. By state, New Jersey drivers are the most distracted, using a phone an estimated once every 4.7 miles, and is also among the top states with the highest number of crashes per mile driven:
The New Jersey counties with the most distracted driving:
| Rank | County | Population | Cell Phone Car Crashes | Crashes per 10,000 People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Camden | 510,996 | 239 | 4.68 |
| 4 | Cape May | 94,549 | 57 | 6.03 |
| 3 | Passaic | 510,563 | 334 | 6.54 |
| 2 | Essex | 800,401 | 540 | 6.75 |
| 1 | Hudson | 679,756 | 779 | 11.46 |
The report also found that:
· distracted drivers are 21 times more likely to speed, 12 times more likely to rapidly accelerate and seven times more likely to hard brake.
· Drivers on their morning commute (6am – 8am) are less prone to distracted driving than they are during the afternoon, when they are twice as likely to use their phones.
· Most speeding occurs Sunday afternoons (3pm – 6pm).
· Distracted teen drivers interact with their smartphones 9 times in 100 miles. For adults, it’s 8 times in 100 miles.
But there’s good news: New Jersey is not among the top ten cities with the most distracted drivers.
To fight the urge to talk or text while driving, remember these T.I.P.S:
Tell: Before you get behind the wheel, let friends and family know you will be unable to respond to texts and/or calls.
Ignore: Make sure your phone is on the “do not disturb” setting, so the ringing and beeps of new calls and texts don’t make you want to answer them.
Pull Over: No message is that important to respond to while driving. Pull over or stop so you can do so without losing focus.
Stash: If all else fails, put your phone in the glove compartment. Stop to use your phone if there is an emergency.