Speaking up to stop texting and driving
While drivers may make the dangerous decision to text behind the wheel, passengers have the power to help end this behavior.
The dangers of texting and driving have been drilled into the heads of drivers (and future drivers, alike) for years, and for good reason. In 2021 alone, despite the awareness that has been raised about the issue, 3,522 people lost their lives because of a distracted driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA).
Recently, Erie Insurance performed a survey of over 2,000 adults in the United States to examine how society as a whole views texting and driving, and 73% of people said they find the behavior socially unacceptable. Of course, that leaves 27% who believe texting while driving is socially acceptable.
So, how can those who find themselves in the passenger seat next to one of the 27% put a stop to the driver’s risky behavior? By using their voice.
While 10% of passengers say they don’t speak up when a driver is texting, the survey showed that many of those who have asked a driver to stop have made a difference. Of those who said they had been told to stop texting while they were driving by a passenger, 43% actually stopped texting and never did it again. Only 10% said they kept texting anyway, and 47% admitted that while they stopped texting in that moment, they eventually did it again.
The most common reasons those surveyed said they would hesitate to ask a driver to stop texting included not believing it was their place to tell the driver what to do, not wanting to start an argument and being too uncomfortable to say something. Twenty-one percent said they often don’t say anything to texting drivers because they are guilty of the behavior themselves. Along with the survey report, Erie shared four different strategies, courtesy of Dr. Stanislaw Kolek, visiting assistant professor at Allegheny College, that could assist those who are afraid to stand up to a texting driver. These strategies are:
- Negotiation: “If you are in a car and the driver starts texting, you could say, ‘It looks like you really need to be texting someone right now so why don’t you let me drive? I can drive and you can text, and once we get to our destination, you can get back into the driver’s seat,’” Kolek suggested. “It’s a way to get them to realize that the behavior is not wanted and that you’ve already come up with a solution. Asking them if you can be the driver in that situation is usually a very non-antagonistic way of getting yourself out of a dangerous situation.”
- Positive reinforcement: This approach involves informing the driver of ways in which putting down their phone will benefit them; whether that be reminding them of safety concerns or catering to their desire to save money by encouraging them to engage in telematics programs and apps that reward them for driving without distractions.
- Partnership and mutual accountability: The buddy system isn’t just for school field trips; it can be a useful tool in encouraging safer driving behavior from your loved ones. Offering to hold each other accountable for dropping the texting-while-driving habit can be a way to approach the situation in a less-confrontational way.
- Negative consequences: If none of the more positive tactics succeed in getting a driver to stop texting, presenting negative consequences may be the best way to make a point and ensure your safety. “You can say, ‘You’re the driver and I am your passenger and we’re a team right now. I really don’t want to be in the car with you while you are texting.’ That would probably be effective if the person is reasonable and wants you to continue riding with them,” said Kolek.