The company’s public policy division, the Travelers Institute, kicks
off new national symposia series exploring the serious implications of
taking your eyes off the road, even for a second
RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV)
today launched its Every Second Matters national initiative
targeting the distracted driving problem. Through a series of forums
held across the country by the company’s public policy division, the
Travelers Institute, the campaign looks to bridge the gap between why
many believe distracted driving is dangerous, yet nearly a quarter of
Americans admit to doing it.
“The National Safety Council reported more than 40,000 traffic
fatalities in 2016,” said Joan Woodward, Executive Vice President,
Public Policy and President of the Travelers Institute. “Distracted
driving is a contributing factor and it’s a problem that won’t go away
without understanding its causes and promoting safe behavior. Whether
drivers are texting, eating or talking on the phone – taking their eyes
off the road for even one second can cause a potentially life-changing
crash.”
The Every Second Matters symposia series will convene experienced
professionals from the public and private sectors to explore new data on
why drivers are losing focus, introduce innovative tools to help reduce
distractions, as well as encourage drivers, passengers and pedestrians
to speak up when they see distracted driving behaviors.
The
educational series will kick off today at North Carolina State
University in Raleigh in collaboration with the Independent Insurance
Agents of North Carolina (IIANC), NC Vision Zero, the National Safety
Council and the Road to Zero Coalition to discuss the role of
distraction in today’s society and how to influence social change. Mike
Causey, Insurance Commissioner of the North Carolina Department of
Insuranceand State Fire Marshal, will deliver opening remarks.
The Travelers Institute is also releasing a report, Every
Second Matters: A conversation starter on reducing distracted driving
risk, which explores recent trends in motor vehicle accidents
and provides safe driving tips.
“Distracted driving has become an increasingly dangerous activity,” said
Aubie Knight, Chief Executive Officer, IIANC. “Each day in the United
States, more than nine people are killed and 1,000 are injured in
crashes involving a distracted driver.”
While the risks of distracted driving seem to be well-publicized, many
people continue to engage in unsafe behaviors while driving:
-
The 2017
Travelers Risk Index found that about a quarter (23 percent) of
Americans surveyed say they use personal technology at least sometimes
while driving – despite nearly 80 percent saying they know the
practice is very risky.
-
The Risk Index also found that 3 in 10 people said they have had a
near-miss (almost got into an accident) due to their own
distracted driving. Ten percent said they have gotten into an
accident from their own distracted driving, while 23 percent say
they have due to someone else’s distracted driving.
-
A recent poll
commissioned by Travelers and conducted online by Harris Poll of
over 1,000 U.S. employees who drive, indicated that 43 percent of
employees who drive answer or make work-related communications while
driving.
-
That same poll showed that Generation X (ages 35-44) is just as
likely as millennials (ages 18-34) to answer or make work-related
communications while driving – over half of both generations (54
percent each) admitted to doing this.
“We see the human costs of distracted driving every day from collisions
that could have been avoided if the driver had been paying attention to
the road,” said Michael Klein, Executive Vice President and President of
Personal Insurance at Travelers. “With the Every Second Matters
campaign, we hope to educate people about the dangers of distracted
driving and provide them with real ways to help them stay focused on the
road and keep themselves and others safe.”
Travelers is also continuing its efforts to promote safe driving among
teens in Connecticut. For the past 10 years, the company has supported
the Connecticut DMV’s Teen Safe Driving Video Contest, where local teens
can win prizes for submitting original, creative videos that convey the
importance of safe driving. The goal is to raise awareness among young
and inexperienced drivers and strengthen peer-to-peer influence to keep
Connecticut’s roads safe for everyone.
To learn more about the Travelers Institute’s symposia series and to
register for an upcoming event, visit www.travelersinstitute.org.
For more information about distracted driving risks and how to stay safe
behind the wheel, visit the Travelers Prepare
& Prevent website. Other resources for safe driving include the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety, the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Virginia
Tech Transportation Institute, the National
Safety Council and NC
Vision Zero.
Travelers Poll Methodology
This survey was conducted online
within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Travelers from
Sept. 12−14, 2017, among 2,083 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom
1,146 are employees who drive. This online survey is not based on a
probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling
error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including
weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Judy
Senechal, jlsenech@travelers.com.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV)
is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto,
home
and business.
A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has
approximately 30,000 employees and generated revenues of approximately
$28 billion in 2016. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171106005727/en/
The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Judy Senechal, 860.277.2366
jlsenech@travelers.com
Source: The Travelers Companies, Inc.