DEARBORN — At this time of year, teens and young adults enjoy festivities including proms and graduation parties.

It’s also the time of year when automobile accidents from distracted driving increase among this age group.

The Dearborn Police Department held a “Safe Driving Initiative” event outside of the police station on Thursday, May 22 to send a message to the community on the dangers of distracted driving, which includes texting, speaking on the phone and being under the influence of alcohol. 

Mayor Jack O’Reilly spoke at the event, urging residents to do their part to engage in responsible driving. O’Reilly shared some statistics which have been available since 2011, including that 23 percent of automobile accidents are now a result of texting and driving. That puts it above other causes, including being intoxicated while driving.

On average, a person can spend five seconds with their eyes off the road when they are reading or replying to a text message. At 55 mph, that means they’ll travel the distance of a football field without looking at the road.

Data has also revealed that a person who engages in text messaging on the road is 23 times more likely to be involved in a car accident. However, texting is not the only culprit. Making a call is likely to increase chances of an accident by 2.8 times, while talking and listening is likely to increase it by 1.3 times.

Guest speakers at the event included Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad, Jim Graham from Ford Motor Company’s Driving Skills for Life division, Tyler MacEachran from the advocacy group “Mothers Against Drunk Driving,” Susan Hilt from AAA-Michigan and students from Edsel Ford High School.

Each guest speaker touched base on the dangers of distracted driving and discussed initiatives that they’ve taken to spread awareness of the issue. 

This year, Edsel Ford High School received a grant from Ford Motor Company and AAA-Michigan to educate students on the dangerous epidemic. The companies provided students with driving simulators that depicted the dangers of distracted driving and asked students to sign a pledge that they wouldn’t engage in such activities. Students also received brochures that included distracted driving statistics. 

The police department also encouraged vehicle passengers to do their part to limit driver distractions. That includes answering the driver’s phone calls and text messages for them and managing the navigation system. 

Students from Edsel Ford High School have also been encouraging their peers to download an app onto their phone that would disable the texting and web surfing abilities on their phone when they are in motion in their vehicle. The app is being carried and sponsored by the majority cell phone providers.

The police department has also been displaying a wrecked vehicle on the front lawn of the police station that is visible to drivers who are moving through traffic on Michigan Ave., in hopes that it would alert drivers on the dangers of distracted driving. 

Drinking and driving also continues to be an epidemic across the country. On average, nearly 12,000 people die every year in DUI-related accidents. Each year, 900,000 people are arrested for DUI/DWI and a full one-third of those are repeat offenders.

Locally, there has been some good news. According to Haddad, the city of Dearborn has been able to reduce automobile accidents by almost 60 percent in the last five years.