Protect Your Insurance Rates - Drive Responsibly

A recent study by the National Safety Council (NSC) finds that people may engage in distracting activities on the road, risking their insurance rates in the process, because they tend to overestimate their driving skills.

The NSC describes a study in Massachusetts involving 41 drivers whose abilities were tested in areas like lane changing, speed control and responding to traffic lights. Then, the drivers were asked to demonstrate those same skills while engaged in activities like answering simple questions and repeating numbers.

The study found that safety was compromised when the drivers were distracted by even these relatively minor factors.

Distracted driving tends to take many forms on American roads, from using cell phones and texting to eating and putting on makeup. The report noted that commercial drivers are often distracted by job requirements, and that crashes can be particularly costly for employers.

In the past, the NSC has estimated that cell phone use alone on the road accounts for 6 percent of all crashes and causes 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year. It also warns that hands-free devices are no safer than conventional cell phones. For drivers who cause accidents as a result of such activities, higher insurance rates may be one of the better things they can hope for.

For more about finding the right auto insurance policy for you, visit InsureMe.com today.

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