We’ve entered the 100 deadliest days of summer – the period from Memorial Day through Labor Day that claims more teen lives than any other time of year.
In an effort to curb distracted driving during the summer, EverQuote has launched its second-annual “EverDrive Safe Driving Challenge,” a contest that awards $50,000 in scholarships to the safest drivers in America.
Nationally, any current or new driver who downloads and uses EverQuote’s EverDrive app before Labor Day is entered to compete for their state’s $1,000 safe-driving scholarship.
The challenge kicked off June 8 and lasts through Labor Day (Sept. 4) to promote safer driving habits during the 100 deadliest days of driving for teen drivers. While scoring for the Challenge will officially start Aug. 21, Safe Driving Challenge participants will begin accumulating miles from the moment they download and use the app – a figure that will be used in the event of a tie.
Despite many states implementing anti-texting or distracted-driving laws, distracted driving has become an epidemic sweeping across American roadways, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reporting that distracted driving collisions took 3,477 lives and injured 391,000 in 2015.
“From unruly backseat passengers, social media scrolling, texting, speeding and more, risky and distracted driving takes on many forms but they all have one thing in common – the repercussions can be fatal, even more so during the summer months when teens are on the road traveling with friends,” said EverQuote CEO Seth Birnbaum. “EverQuote’s Safe Driving Challenge is meant to bring awareness to the serious effects of distracted driving, and encourage teens and parents alike to commit to safer driving this summer in a fun and potentially financially rewarding way.”
Data pulled from the EverDrive app found that the average drive time of users is 21 minutes, with 88 seconds of that time spent on the phone. Considering the NHTSA reports that sending or reading a text takes five seconds of attention off the road, those moments spent staring at a mobile device could equate to driving distracted the length of 17 football fields at the rate of 55 miles per hour, according to EverQuote.
To participate in the EverDrive Safe Driving Challenge, new users can download the free EverDrive app available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
