Texas Drunk Driving Deaths Top the Nation; GEICO Urges Recommitment to Safe Driving

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Drunk driving deaths in Texas have remained elevated for the past
decade. Texas, in fact, holds the dubious honor of being the state with
the most traffic deaths due to drunk driving and the most traffic deaths
overall in the U.S. in 2015, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA).

With that in mind GEICO is urging Texas drivers to recommit themselves
to safer driving for themselves, their passengers and the public.

“It’s important for Texans to make safety a top priority every time they
get behind the wheel,” said Dan Beacom, vice president of GEICO’s
regional operations in Dallas. “Setting a safe driving example is the
key to reversing this alarming trend in Texas.”

GEICO urges drivers to adopt this safe driving checklist

Pour drinking and driving down the drain: More than 35 percent of
road deaths in Texas resulted from alcohol-impaired driving according to
NHTSA. Plan ahead is the message. If you’re going out where
alcohol will be served, know how you’re going to get home. Think cab,
public transportation, a rideshare service or a completely sober
designated driver.

Ditch the distractions: Driving is complicated enough by itself.
Adding extra activities behind the wheel often means big mistakes.
Texting, talking to passengers too much, fixing makeup or programming a
GPS are serious distractions. They could lead to “inattention
blindness,” a condition where people don’t see what’s right in front of
them because they’re distracted. They can and do miss objects in the
roadway like pedestrians and emergency vehicles or even stop signs and
other traffic signals.

Scrub away speeding: Yes, Texas is home to the nation’s highest
speed limit. Despite that, drivers should first consider what a safe
driving speed is for their own skills and local weather and road
conditions. Speeding can significantly reduce a driver’s time to react
and remains a major cause of crashes.

86 aggressive driving: Tailgating, weaving through traffic,
excessive use of the horn and rude gestures all make up aggressive
driving. These behaviors can turn minor situations into dangerous ones.
Don’t take road incidents personally. Take a deep breath and let the
offending vehicle move on rather than creating a confrontation.

For more safe driving tips, visit the car
safety page on the GEICO More content hub.

GEICO
(Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire
Hathaway family of companies and is the second-largest private passenger
auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO, which was founded in
1936, provides millions of auto
insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. The company is pleased to
serve more than 15 million private passenger customers, insuring more
than 24 million vehicles (auto & cycle).

Contacts

GEICO Communications
gcorpcomm@geico.com
To
view GEICO’s Blog: https://www.geico.com/more/