Distracted Driving  
  Drowsy Driving  
  Aggressive Driving - Speeding  

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving makes it more difficult to focus on the primary task at hand. Common driver distractions include:

  1. adjusting the radio or climate controls;
  2. distractions from other occupants, passengers or children;
  3. eating, drinking or smoking while driving;
  4. using a handheld or hands-free cell phone or on-board telematics (i.e. navigational systems, wireless internet, e-mail, etc.).
The Stats

Your chances of getting into a collision are 4 times higher when you talk on your cell phone.  

In 2003, collisions involving distracted drivers in Ontario resulted in more than 14,000 injuries and 75 fatalities.  

Drowsy Driving

Drowsy driving causes impaired reaction time, judgment and vision. Common factors that contribute to drowsy driving include:

  1. less than six hours sleep per night;
  2. an overly active lifestyle;
  3. driving after being awake more than 15 hours;
  4. long duration driving;
  5. medical conditions.
The Stats

Driving after 19 hours without sleep is like driving with more than half the legal blood alcohol limit.  

Driving drowsy can be as deadly as driving drunk.  

At highway speeds, you can travel 30 metres in the blink of an eye.  

Aggressive driving - Speeding

Aggressive driving causes an increase in violent traffic disputes. Furthermore, aggressive drivers over-estimate their perceptual and motor skills while driving and therefore increased their risk of collision. Some common signs of aggressive driving include:

  1. driving or attempting to drive at a speed different than the prevailing speed;
  2. verbal or non-verbal expressions of anger directed at other drivers designed to encourage retaliation;
  3. deliberately ignoring traffic controls especially by increasing speed or failing to slow for the controls;
  4. driving in a way that attempts to gain an unfair advantage of other drivers, being negatively influenced (i.e. frustrated) by systematic factors (ie: time of day - rush hour or perceived level of traffic congestion).

The Stats

Speed is one of the biggest killers on Ontario's roads.  

Many people admit to speeding even though they know it's unsafe.  

Drivers who exceed the speed limit by 30 km/h or more are about 6 times more likely to kill or injure themselves.  

As your driving speed increases, your time to react decreases.