Michelle Jackson-Brown

A new study about distracted driving, which is part of the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test, reveals that U.S. drivers may not be paying enough attention to the road. The new data suggests that the numbers may have increased because of women who admittedly do just about anything—eating, putting on makeup, texting and even taking pictures—behind the wheel.

National Drivers Test also tested driver behavior. According to the study, women are more likely to engage in distracted driving habits than men. Distracted driving habits include eating, adjusting GPS devices, changing songs on MP3 players, taking pictures, applying makeup and even changing clothes. Here’s a glimpse at some of the numbers:

• Fifty-two percent of female drivers say they eat while driving (a 25 percent increase from 2010), as opposed to only 44 percent of male drivers.
• Eighty-three percent of female drivers admit to texting while stopped at red lights, as opposed to 71 percent of male driver
• Thirty-eight percent of female drivers said they did not engage in any distracted driving activities, as opposed to 46 percent of male drivers
  The National Drivers Test encourages drivers to educate themselves on the rules of the road in order to prevent accidents that may result from distracted driving habits.

Team up w/GMAC & MJB Insurance and take the test: http://www.nationaldriverstest.com/

Some aftermarket parts may be fine. Others may not. But Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts are designed for your vehicle and its optimal performance. While salvaged parts may save you money in the short run, in some instances the consequences can be disastrous.

Both salvaged (airbag) modules and non-OEM (airbag) modules have been touted as less expensive alternatives than OEM airbags. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are potential problems with both of these alternative replacement modules. For a salvaged (airbag) module to be viable for use in repairs, it is first necessary to precisely match the make, model and model year of the salvaged vehicle with the vehicle being repaired. For a non-OEM (airbag) module to have the same crash performance as the original, the two modules must have exactly the same chemicals that generate the gas, in exactly the same quantity and formulation.⁶

Do you really want to take that risk?

At GMAC Insurance we don’t think you should have to. That’s the reason we guarantee use of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts for post-collision repairs – at no extra charge.*

Call us today for a quote (757)255-8162 or via email : Michelle@mjbinsuranceservices.com

Tweeting while driving? The GMAC Insurance Distracted Driving Study shows smart phones are drawing drivers’ attention behind the wheel

An alarmingly high percentage of drivers are still using various features of their smart phones while operating their vehicles, according to the Distracted Driving Study which is part of the 7th Annual GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test. According to the study, almost two-thirds of drivers say they make phone calls and 8 in 10 drivers admitted to reading and sending text messages while stopped at red lights. Fifty percent of the drivers in the study say they make phone calls while driving in “slow traffic” or “while driving on an open highway.” Fifteen percent of drivers from the study admitted to sending and reading texts while driving. Conversely, 80 percent of drivers who took part in the study say it is never safe to text, email or use their smart phones while driving.

The results revealed people are saying they mostly use their phones for calling and text messaging while driving. But, almost ten percent of drivers admitted to sending and reading emails and using their downloaded applications on their smart phones while operating their vehicles. About three percent of drivers say they use their smart phones to take pictures and some are even updating their Twitter and Facebook pages.

Want to know more about using smart phones and distracted driving?
Click here to find out more shocking facts about the dangers of using your phone while driving.

Brought to you by MJB & GMAC Insurance.