The dangers and causes of distracted driving and ways to avoid it are the subject of a new DriverCare Web-Based Training lesson, The CEI Group Inc.

Avoiding Distracted Driving is a 25-minute online lesson that puts students in the driver's seat to experience computer-graphic simulations of collisions and see examples of the wide variety of distractions that cause them. To view the lesson's key learning points and make a purchase, go to www. drivercare.com/training.

Aimed at fleet and private drivers of all ages and all types of vehicles, the narrated lesson explains that:

Any driver who takes his or her eyes off the road for more than two seconds for any reason is distracted.

Drivers engage in a potentially distracting behavior approximately 30 percent of the time their vehicles are in motion.

Because they are mentally distracted, even with their eyes on the road drivers talking on a cell phone pose a greater risk than a driver with a blood alcohol reading of 0.08, considered legally drunk.

Distracted driving is different from impaired driving due to fatigue or the use of alcohol, and can be controlled by a commitment to full concentration on the primary task of driving.

"Distracted driving is a growing and urgent public issue," said Ryan Woolfenden, senior manager of business development at CEI.  "According to the National Safety Council, it causes six percent of all roadway crashes a year, 330,000 injuries and 2,600 fatalities. 

"We hope that by offering this lesson we can contribute to increased awareness of the problem and recognition that assuming personal responsibility to avoid distractions is key to solving it."

Like all of the lessons in the DriverCare Web-Based Training curriculum, Avoiding Distracted Driving features interactive exercises, a 10-question final test, and the ability to download and print out a certificate of completion.