ROBBINSVILLE —Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Marlene Caride today participated in a roundtable discussion about the dangers of distracted driving with Robbinsville High School students. Representatives from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety and the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey joined Acting Commissioner Caride and students as they highlighted the risks and potential deadly consequences of driving while texting, using a mobile phone or engaging in other activities that take a driver’s eyes off the road.
“Distracted driving is dangerous and costly. It is cited as a major contributing factor in hundreds of thousands of auto accidents, many of them fatal, in New Jersey and nationwide. The Department is committed to working to raise awareness of this epidemic to prevent distracted driving,” said Acting Commissioner Caride. “I want to thank the Robbinsville High School students and young people across the state, as well as our agency and community partners, who are working to end this dangerous, daily threat on our roadways.”
Distracted driving was cited as a major contributing factor in over 804,000 motor vehicle crashes in New Jersey from 2011 to 2015, according to the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. Nationwide 3,450 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in 2016 alone. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently noted that researchers and state insurance regulators all point to distracted driving as a major cause of more frequent, more costly and too often deadly accidents. Higher accident rates result in higher insurance premiums for many.
Robbinsville High School was among 63 New Jersey schools that participated this year in the “U Got Brains Champion Schools Program,” which provides students and staff the opportunity to develop teen driving safety campaigns. Students engaged in various activities during the month of April, National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, including the development of a pledge to not drive while distracted.
During the roundtable, students discussed their participation in leading the month-long campaign and the need to conduct prevention efforts year-round. The Champion Schools Program is presented by the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey and funded by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (DHTS) with support from sponsor New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company (NJM). Representatives from NJM and AAA Mid-Atlantic attended the event.
“Driver inattention is the most frequently cited cause of fatal and incapacitating crashes on New Jersey roadways. It is a contributing circumstance in over 50 percent of crashes in the State,” said Ed O’Connor, DHTS Central Region Supervisor. “Raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving is an important component in prevention.”
“Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of traumatic brain injury in teens and young adults. Distracted driving is one of the leading factors, but we know that with help from our Champion School students and teacher advisors, we can continue to reduce those numbers,” said Wendy Berk, Vice President of Development and Communications, Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey. “We are grateful for the support of our sponsors, DHTS, NJM and State Farm, among others for making this evidence based program possible. We are proud of the work of Robbinsville High School and to have joined with the Department of Banking and Insurance, students and our partners in a meaningful discussion on preventing distracted driving.”
“This is the sixth year Robbinsville High School has participated in the U Got Brains Champion Schools program. This year, when I brought the idea to the Class of 2021 student council they immediately embraced the idea to raise awareness about the dangers associated with distracted driving,” said Jennifer Allessio, Robbinsville High School Co-advisor to the Class of 2021. “Their work, along with the work of the other Champion Schools, is a critical component to ending the epidemic known as distracted driving that has caused too many accidents and lives to be lost already.” |
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At left, Acting Commissioner Marlene Caride hosts a discussion at Robbinsville High School on distracted driving awareness. From Left to Right: Wendy Berk, Vice President of Development and Communications, Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey, Ed O’Connor, DHTS Central Region Supervisor, Acting Commissioner Caride, and Jennifer Allessio, Robbinsville High School Co-advisor to the Class of 2021.
Below, Robbinsville High School students joined New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Marlene Caride in a roundtable discussion about their work to increase awareness of distracted driving throughout their school during the month of April, Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and beyond. From Left to Right: Devan Pandya, Dilvin Dogan, Kavya Villiangiri, Acting Commissioner Caride, Elaine Wolochuk, Sanya Mann, and Victoria Cheung. |
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