Distracted Driving – Every Second Matters^®

The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of Travelers, launched the Every Second Matters^® education campaign in 2017 to help combat distracted driving. That year, more than 37,000 people died on U.S. roads, marking the end of a two-year period (2014-2016) that saw the highest rate increase in traffic fatalities in more than 50 years.¹  Since that time, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, risky driving behaviors have continued to have deadly consequences. Despite miles driven decreasing by about 13% in 2020, U.S. traffic fatalities are estimated to have increased by about 7% over 2019.² As an industry leader with extensive claim insights into auto collision trends, Travelers is taking a leadership role in addressing distracted driving.

The Every Second Matters campaign recognizes that every driver, passenger, cyclist and pedestrian has a role to play in combating distraction – such as texting while driving – and enhancing roadway safety. The Travelers Institute has hosted educational programs at universities and in communities across the United States and Canada. Travelers Institute staff have also highlighted the topic at transportation safety conferences, including the Lifesavers Conference and DRIVE SMART Virginia’s Distracted Driving Summit, as well as at insurance industry conferences, such as the National African American Insurance Association’s Annual Conference, the Cottingham & Butler Transportation Summit and various Gamma Iota Sigma conferences. In 2021, the Travelers Institute continued raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving through virtual presentations in the Wednesdays with Woodward^® webinar series.

Every Second Matters stands on three key principles:

• Creating a social stigma so drivers feel embarrassed to drive distracted.
• Increasing understanding about situational awareness by all roadway users, including elevating the conversation about pedestrian and cyclist safety.
• Examining scalable technology and insurtech solutions.

The campaign explores the latest approaches to help combat distracted driving, including how technology, which often contributes to distraction, can offer solutions to reduce distracted driving. In engaging thousands of people in this campaign, we are hoping it will convince people to put down their phones while driving. If it saves even one life, it’ll have been worth the effort.

Key Activities

• Symposium Series. The Travelers Institute has engaged policymakers, researchers, students, independent insurance agents and others through an educational symposium series throughout the United States and Canada, and virtually. In total, the Travelers Institute has held 90 events since the series launched in 2017. Speakers have included representatives from the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Safety Council and Travelers. View select Travelers Institute events here.
• Cross-Sector Collaboration. Technology firms, universities, research centers, nonprofits, industry groups, student organizations and others have joined forces with the Travelers Institute to explore cross-sector synergies to mitigate distracted driving risk. The Travelers Institute also works closely with the National Safety Council and is a member of the Road to Zero Coalition, a cross-sector initiative working to eliminate roadway deaths. View collaborations here.
• Digital Resources. Travelers is elevating the topic of distracted driving by offering online resources and content for use by advocates, business leaders and the general public. Notably, Travelers worked with the families of victims of distracted driving to honor their loved ones’ unfinished stories through our “Unfinished Stories” In October 2020, Travelers shared the story of a young boy named Zaadii, who was killed by a distracted driver. His passion for comics and superheroes was the focus for an innovative way to reach out to distracted drivers across the country. In partnership with his family, an exclusive comic book was created by two well-known comic book professionals: writer Gail Simone and artist Jim Calafiore. Travelers also sponsored an Emmy-nominated documentary for public television titled “3 Seconds Behind the Wheel,” released A Conversation Starter on Reducing Distracted Driving Risk and published distracted driving research through the Travelers Risk Index. As of 2021, “3 Seconds Behind the Wheel” has been broadcast in 83 U.S. markets. It was also accepted by PBS International and distributed in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The film streamed for one year on Amazon Prime and was rated 4.7 out of 5 stars, receiving between 1,200 and 5,000 unique views each month. Finally, as part of the Every Second Matters distracted driving initiative, the Travelers Institute has held screenings of the documentary for attendees at colleges, transportation safety conferences and agent events.
• Incentivizing Safe Behavior. IntelliDrive^® is a 90-day usage-based insurance program for Travelers customers that uses a smartphone app to capture driving data and allow customers to better understand their driving habits. The driving performance score is based on several behaviors, including time of day, speed, acceleration, braking and distracted driving. In most states, safe driving can lead to savings of up to 30%, while riskier driving could result in a premium increase. In-app content from the Every Second Matters initiative includes tips and advice to encourage safer driving behaviors.
• Employer Engagement. Every Second Matters challenges employers and employees to elevate distracted driving prevention within their organizations, discussing strategies for creating a culture of safety in the workplace. Travelers Risk Control also advises Travelers customers with regard to strategies to prevent distracted driving. Learn more.
• Agent and Broker Engagement. Our company’s network of 13,500 independent agents and brokers see the consequences of distracted driving with customers every day. Travelers offers resources to help them facilitate conversations with personal and business insurance customers to create safer roadways for all. Agent and broker associations are also taking a leadership role in hosting university education programs partnered with the Travelers Institute.
• Student Engagement. The Travelers Institute is engaging with future risk management and insurance leaders on campuses across the United States and Canada to look at distracted driving as an important industry issue and an opportunity for innovation. Programming at universities of all sizes also helps increase visibility for Travelers and attract talent; Travelers Talent Acquisition team leverages these programs to connect with students and showcase the opportunity to impact important issues through a career at Travelers. Programs have been held at Harvard University, St. John’s University, the University of Connecticut and the University of Pennsylvania, among others. In addition, for more than 10 years, Travelers has sponsored the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles’ Teen Safe Driving Video Contest. In this contest, students from across Connecticut script, direct and edit short videos educating their peers on Connecticut’s graduated driving laws and the dangers of distracted driving.
• Promoting Safe Driving at Travelers. Consistent with the Every Second Matters platform, Travelers has an internal Driver Safety policy to help maintain the safety of Travelers employees who drive for Travelers, as well as a policy regarding Driving and the Use of Mobile Technology. These policies are supported by Travelers senior leaders, who regularly remind employees that their safety while driving is of paramount importance.

Related Resources

• Travelers Institute Webinar: The Art and Science of Behavior Change
• Travelers Institute Webinar: Crash and Learn: An Inside Look at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• Travelers Institute Webinar: High Risk? Marijuana Legalization and Roadway Safety
• Travelers Institute Webinar: An Inside Look at IntelliDrive®, Travelers’ Telematics Program to Encourage Safer Driving Behaviors
• “3 Seconds Behind the Wheel,” public television documentary
• A Conversation Starter on Reducing Distracted Driving Risk
• Travelers Risk Index on distracted driving
• Unfinished Stories honoring victims of distracted driving

¹U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2017 Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview, October 2018; NHTSA, 2016 Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview, October 2017.
²U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA, 2020 Fatality Data Show Increased Traffic Fatalities During Pandemic, June 3, 2021, available at www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/2020-fatality-data-show-increased-traffic-fatalities-during-pandemic.