National Auto Body Council® members have the opportunity to save lives by driving public awareness about one of the leading causes of traffic collisions today – distracted driving. From GPS to cell phones, entertainment screens, rowdy passengers and more, just one quick glance from the road can results in a dented fender, a damaged bumper or worse.

The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. One out of every four car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving. According to NHTSA, in the U.S. in 2018, more than 2,800 people were killed and an estimated 400,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.

Those of us in the collision industry know all too well the physical and emotional impact from car accidents. That is why NABC® members are in the unique position of taking the leadership role in local communities across the country to educate and urge drivers of all ages eliminate distracted driving.

How the NABC® Is Helping

The new NABC® Drive Out Distraction program is helping educate drivers and their passengers about reducing the dangers of distracted driving with a national campaign that focuses on:

• Preparing for the road trip by downloading directions, checking weather and traffic conditions, setting the radio station and familiarizing yourself with the vehicle controls
• Reducing cell phone distractions by setting devices to “do not disturb”
• Eliminating in-car interruptions by securing pets, buckling in children and reminding passengers not to distract the driver with inappropriate behavior

NABC® members can share the NABC® Drive Out Distraction program with their customers and local audiences with a robust tool kit that includes:

• Custom-branded counter card with tips for setting devices to “do not disturb” and call to action to take the NABC® “Drive Out Distraction” challenge
• Custom-branded web page on NationalAutoBodyCouncil.org with tips for eliminating distracted driving to share via social media, shop web site and email
• Digital graphics to use on social media and shop lobby televisions