Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reminds Citizens about the Dangers of Distracted Driving

Clarksville, TN – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind parents to speak to their children about the dangers of distracted driving.

With school out for the summer, there will be more teen and young adult drivers on the road during the day.

“Reading one text message takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds, which is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field blindfolded at 55 miles per hour,” said Lisa McClain, Director of Montgomery County Driver Safety.

McClain has been partnering with Deputy Denis Bowles with the Sheriff’s Office to educate teen drivers about the dangers of distracted driving by displaying wrecked vehicles at area high schools. They also speak to students specifically about the dangers of texting and driving.

According to McClain, a person texting while driving is 23 times more likely to cause an accident than having an intoxicated driver behind the wheel. Steering capability decreases by 91% when texting while driving. Motorist under 20 years of age are more likely to cause an accident due to texting and driving.

“Through education programs and open dialogue we hope to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities among all drivers,” said Bowles. “We hope that parents will take the time to reinforce the dangers of texting and driving with their children.”