Anti-distracted driving simulator arrives in North Quincy

David J Donaghue Insurance Agency is proud to bring Distractology® to North Quincy Auto Academy February 18-22. Developed and funded by the Arbella Insurance Foundation, Distractology was one of the first programs in the country to address distracted driving with young, inexperienced drivers. Drivers who have completed Distractology are proven to be 19 percent less likely to have an accident and 25 percent less likely to receive traffic violations*.

According to the CDC, 9 people are killed every hour and more than 1,000 are injured as a result of distracted drivers. Distracted driving has become a top concern among drivers in the United States with recent research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The study shows that drivers talking on a cellphone are up to four times as likely to crash while those who text are up to eight times as likely to be involved in a crash. The Journal of Adolescent Health has also found 38% of teenagers across the country text while driving. In Massachusetts, 40% of teenagers text while driving. In Connecticut, 30% of teenagers text while driving.

“Distracted driving problems continue to escalate, so it’s critical to do everything we can to educate new drivers to the dangers associated with distracted driving,” said John Donohue, chairman, president and CEO of the Arbella Insurance Group and chairman of the Arbella Insurance Foundation. “Distractology aims to curb potentially hazardous behaviors before they become habits. It’s our hope that by working together with new drivers, educators and parents, we can create a new generation of safe drivers who believe distracted driving is unacceptable.”

Distractology features a mobile classroom outfitted with two high-tech driving simulators designed to give new drivers the chance to experience the perils of distracted driving. Simulations are based on real-world examples, including texting, posting to social media sites like Facebook and Snapchat, and changing the radio all while navigating residential and highway conditions.

To date, more than 17,300 new drivers, meaning those that have been licensed less than three years or have a learner’s permit, have completed the Distractology training. After completing the course, students reported they were 25 percent less likely to check their phone while driving compared to before the training exercise. Compared to their attitude before the course, students were 30 percent less comfortable with the idea of multi-tasking while they drive. By changing both students’ actual behavior and the way they view distracted driving, the Arbella Insurance Foundation continues to show meaningful progress in affecting individuals as well as the broader youth culture around this issue.

“Over the past 9 years, Arbella’s Distractology campaign has made enormous strides in terms of combating distracted driving,” said Brian Donaghue of David J Donaghue Insurance Agency. “The program is proven to decrease accident rates by almost 20 percent for participating drivers and we’re proud to support Distractology’s important mission.”

The Distractology curriculum and simulations are based on research funded by Arbella Insurance Foundation and conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst). Teens spend about 45 minutes training on the simulators. After this, participants are asked to log on to Distractology.com/the-challenge to finish their training by completing a short, online interactive video reinforcing what they learned in the trailer. Students who complete the eLearning Challenge are entered to win a $500 scholarship.

Distractology will travel to various communities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island during the 2018-2019 school year, offering 45 minutes of simulated distracted driving to each participant. Fully funded by the Arbella Insurance Foundation, Distractology is free to eligible drivers.