QUEENS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Travelers
Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies,
Inc. (NYSE: TRV),
today will bring its Every Second Matters℠ educationcampaign
to St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., to address distracted driving.
More than 40,000 people died on U.S. roads in 2017 according to the
National Safety Council. Policymakers, law enforcement and victims’
families point to distracted driving as a contributing factor, and
today’s event will explore ways to curb this dangerous behavior. The
event will be co-hosted by St. John’s University School of Risk
Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, its Gamma Iota Sigma
chapter and a number of other student organizations, as well as by the
National Safety Council, Road to Zero Coalition, Big I New York and Big
I Tricounty.
“Distracted driving may not be new, but the distractions that have
always existed are now compounded by so many different devices competing
for our attention,” said Michael Klein, Executive Vice President,
Personal Insurance, Travelers. “Our goal with the Every Second Matters
series is to continue raising awareness about the devastating effects of
distracted driving and motivate all drivers to stay focused behind the
wheel so that the roads are safer for everyone. We’re pleased to partner
with St. John’s University for today’s event and this important
initiative.”
More than 90 percent of consumers surveyed in the 2018 Travelers
Risk Index worry about distraction caused by people using personal
technology while driving and 85 percent of respondents said it is
extremely risky to use smartphones or tablets while driving. Despite
those findings, more than one in five consumers surveyed admit to
driving while using these devices.
“We’re excited to have the Travelers Institute join us on campus for
this very important event,” said Jennie Lynn Martino, President of Gamma
Iota Sigma’s Alpha Iota Chapter, a business fraternity for insurance,
risk management and actuarial science students at St. John’s University.
“The insurance industry has the data and resources to help solve
widespread, complicated problems such as distracted driving. We’re happy
to be able to contribute by raising awareness and inspiring young people
to create actual change regarding this issue.”
The event will include a keynote address from Emmy Award-winning
filmmaker Jennifer Boyd, who produced, directed and wrote “3 Seconds
Behind the Wheel,” a Travelers-sponsored public television documentary
about distracted driving, co-produced by CPTV and Boyd Productions. Boyd
and Klein will also join a panel discussion with Dr. Jessica Cicchino,
Vice President for Research at the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety, and Captain Ralph Pascullo, Training and Emergency Management
Coordinator at St. John’s University’s Office of Public Safety. Jessica
Kearney, Executive Director of the Travelers Institute, will moderate.
Visit the Travelers
Institute’s website for more information about the company’s Every
Second Matters campaign.
About the Travelers Risk Index
Hart
Research conducted a national online survey of 1,000 consumers, ages
18 to 69, in March 2018. The survey was commissioned by Travelers.
About the Travelers Institute
The Travelers
Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies,
Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of
importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services
industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry
expertise of Travelers’ senior management, as well as the technical
expertise of many of Travelers’ underwriters, risk managers and other
experts to provide information, analysis and solutions to public
policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property
casualty insurance for auto,
home
and business.
For more information, visit www.travelers.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181025005489/en/
The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Stephanie Arpin, 860.277.8876
sarpin@travelers.com
Source: The Travelers Companies, Inc.