Have you ever driven drowsy? Texted while behind the wheel? Or reined in rowdy behavior from the driver’s seat, so you didn’t have to stop the church van?

If so, you’re not alone. At any given time, thousands of drivers battle distractions that threaten to take their minds off the road. Crashes involving distracted drivers kill more than 3,000 people a year in America and injure more than 300,000.

Your ministry can help prevent crashes on church trips by educating drivers about traffic safety issues and enacting policies that promote distraction-free driving.

Issue 1: Drowsiness
Ministry drivers may be asked to drive long distances on little sleep. This is often the case with youth group outings, which might require an all-night drive to reach a destination. Many accidents involving ministry vehicles each year are caused by drowsy drivers.

The policy: Always have at least one backup driver for each vehicle.

Issue 2: Cellphone Use
Using a cellphone while driving is one of the most common distractions drivers face. It’s especially dangerous because it can divert someone’s attention visually, manually, and cognitively, increasing their chances of being involved in an accident.

The policy: Require drivers to turn off or silence their cellphones while driving ministry-owned vehicles. Also, use decals or stickers to post safety warnings in your ministry vehicle

This entry was posted on May 18, 2017 at 8:55 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Posted in Uncategorized by Scott Stuart Comments Off on Are You a Distracted Driver?