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The 2018 Travelers Risk Index Highlights Misperceptions About Distracted DrivingThe Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) today announced the results of the first release of the 2018 Travelers Risk Index, which focuses on distracted driving and perception of risks among drivers and passengers. Consistent with previous years, an overwhelming majority of people surveyed said that distracted driving is a concern. Eighty-five percent said it is extremely risky to use smartphones or tablets while driving, yet nearly a quarter of respondents said they do it. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180402005446/en/ 2018 Travelers Risk Index on Distracted Driving (Graphic: Business Wire) The Travelers Risk Index also found:
"These survey results are very telling," said Joan Woodward, Executive Vice President, Public Policy, and President of the Travelers Institute. "There's clearly a disconnect between drivers' perception of what is safe and the reality of what is happening on our roads. Lives are being lost to distracted driving-related collisions, and we created the Every Second Matters initiative to help change perceptions about this problem so people start taking it seriously." When the Travelers Risk Index findings are compared with data from TrueMotion's smartphone telematics apps that monitor actual driving behaviors, including distraction, the results show that nearly 40 percent of drivers are distracted for an average of 15 minutes per hour driven. This further demonstrates the misperceptions about distracted driving. "The first step to changing behaviors is being aware of them," said TrueMotion CEO Ted Gramer. "The Travelers Risk Index highlights that drivers are categorizing distraction as 'someone else's problem' when they are the ones who are actually engaging in highly risky behavior. Awareness programs like Every Second Matters and digital programs designed to reward safe driving, powered by smartphone telematics platforms like TrueMotion, are critically important, as they take a proactive approach to curbing this deadly epidemic." The Travelers Institute will share select findings from the Risk Index today during its Every Second Matters symposium at the University of Colorado Denver. The event will be held in collaboration with the University of Colorado Denver Business School's Risk Management and Insurance Program, Gamma Iota Sigma's Beta Mu Chapter, the National Safety Council, the Road to Zero Coalition, the Colorado CPCU Society Chapter and Trusted Choice Insurance Agents of Colorado. "Distracted driving is involved in an average of 40 crashes every day in Colorado, and in 2016, those crashes resulted in 67 deaths," said Sam Cole, Traffic Safety Communications Manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). "Initiatives such as Travelers' Every Second Matters series and CDOT's Drop the Distraction campaign help raise awareness about the dangers of taking your eyes off the road, with the goal of improving safety." The next Every Second Matters event takes place April 3 at Mississippi State University. To learn more about the Travelers Institute® symposium series, and to register for an upcoming event, visit the Travelers Institute website. For more information about distracted driving risks and how to stay safe behind the wheel, visit the Travelers Prepare & Prevent website.
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About Travelers View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180402005446/en/ |