Fitts Insurance Bringing Distracted Driving Program to Framingham High

Fitts Insurance Agency is bringing the state-of-the-art Distractology 101tour to Framingham High School this week (Nov. 12-15).

Distractology 101 is an interactive program developed by the Arbella Insurance Foundation to teach new drivers the dangers of distracted driving. The campaign features a 36-foot-long, neon-yellow mobile classroom outfitted with high-tech driving simulators designed to give new drivers the chance to experience the perils of distracted driving, including texting while driving.

More than 3,000 people are killed each year in crashes involving a distracted driver and an estimated additional 416,000 are injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field at 55 mph, blind. 

“Distracted driving is a widespread epidemic among young drivers that continues to worsen, particularly as mobile devices become more prevalent, more advanced and more addictive,” said John Donohue, chairman, president and CEO of the Arbella Insurance Group, and chairman and president of the Arbella Insurance Foundation.

 In 2012, 97% percent of students surveyed said the experience was effective or extremely effective and 82% said they would recommend the experience to a friend.

“In just three years Arbella’s Distractology 101 campaign has made enormous strides in terms of combating distracted driving,” said Chris Fitts of Fitts Insurance Agency.  

The Distractology driving simulator, based on Arbella-funded research conducted with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMASS), will travel to various communities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island during 2013, offering 45 minutes of simulated distracted driving to each participant.

During the driving simulator training — Distractology 101: A Crash Course on Distracted Driving — teens and other new drivers face a number of scenarios based on real-world examples, educating  participants on how to anticipate hidden hazards, react to the road and avoid accidents. 

Participants also complete the online portion of the curriculum at www.DistractU.com  and make a safe-driving pledge in order to complete the training.

Fitts Insurance Agency has been insuring families and businesses in the MetroWest area for over 80 years.