Anti-distracted driving simulator to visit Attleboro

R.S. Gilmore Insurance Agency, Inc. is proud to bring Distractology® to Attleboro High School October 22-26. Developed and funded by the Arbella Insurance Foundation, Distractology was one of the first programs in the country to address distracted driving with young, inexperienced drivers. Drivers who have completed Distractology are proven to be 19 percent less likely to have an accident and 25 percent less likely to receive traffic violations*.

According to the CDC, 9 people are killed every hour and more than 1,000 are injured as a result of distracted drivers. Distracted driving has become a top concern among drivers in the United States with recent research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The study shows that drivers talking on a cellphone are up to four times as likely to crash while those who text are up to eight times as likely to be involved in a crash. The Journal of Adolescent Health has also found 38% of teenagers across the country text while driving. In Massachusetts, 40% of teenagers text while driving. In Connecticut, 30% of teenagers text while driving.

“Distracted driving problems continue to escalate, so it’s critical to do everything we can to educate new drivers to the dangers associated with distracted driving,” said John Donohue, chairman, president and CEO of the Arbella Insurance Group and chairman of the Arbella Insurance Foundation. “Distractology aims to curb potentially hazardous behaviors before they become habits. It’s our hope that by working together with new drivers, educators and parents, we can create a new generation of safe drivers who believe distracted driving is unacceptable.”

Distractology features a mobile classroom outfitted with two high-tech driving simulators designed to give new drivers the chance to experience the perils of distracted driving. Simulations are based on real-world examples, including texting, posting to social media sites like Facebook and Snapchat, and changing the radio all while navigating residential and highway conditions.

To date, more than 16,000 new drivers, meaning those that have been licensed less than three years or have a learner’s permit, have completed the Distractology training. After completing the course, students reported they were 25 percent less likely to check their phone while driving compared to before the training exercise. Compared to their attitude before the course, students were 30 percent less comfortable with the idea of multi-tasking while they drive. By changing both students’ actual behavior and the way they view distracted driving, the Arbella Insurance Foundation continues to show meaningful progress in affecting individuals as well as the broader youth culture around this issue.

“Over the past 9 years, Arbella’s Distractology campaign has made enormous strides in terms of combating distracted driving,” said Tim Gilmore of R.S. Gilmore Insurance Agency, Inc. “The program is proven to decrease accident rates by almost 20 percent for participating drivers and we’re proud to support Distractology’s important mission.”

The Distractology curriculum and simulations are based on research funded by Arbella Insurance Foundation and conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst). Teens spend about 45 minutes training on the simulators. After this, participants are asked to log on to Distractology.com/the-challenge to finish their training by completing a short, online interactive video reinforcing what they learned in the trailer. Students who complete the eLearning Challenge are entered to win a $500 scholarship.

Distractology will travel to various communities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island during the 2018-2019 school year, offering 45 minutes of simulated distracted driving to each participant. Fully funded by the Arbella Insurance Foundation, Distractology is free to eligible drivers.

About the Arbella Insurance Group and the Arbella Insurance Foundation

Established in 1988, the Arbella Insurance Group (www.arbella.com) is a company with more than $800M in revenue with approximately $1.5B in assets, headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts. Arbella is a customer-focused regional property and casualty insurance company, providing personal and business insurance in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and business insurance in Rhode Island and New Hampshire. The Arbella Insurance Group founded the Arbella Insurance Foundation in 2004. Recognized as one of the Boston Business Journal’s “Top Charitable Contributors” for eleven consecutive years, the mission of Arbella’s Foundation is to engage in activities and to support not-for-profit organizations that have a significant positive impact on the people and communities served by Arbella.

About the R.S. Gilmore Insurance Agency, Inc.

The R.S. Gilmore Insurance Agency, Inc. was established in 1938 by Ralph S. Gilmore in a small office overlooking East Street in downtown North Attleboro. From its humble beginnings, it has grown to be one of the largest family owned insurance agencies in Southeastern Massachusetts.

The hallmark of the agency has always been providing excellent customer service to our clients and giving back to our community we work in.

In 1961 after the untimely death of its founder Ralph S. Gilmore, Robert J. Gilmore and his brother Ralph A. Gilmore took over the ownership of the agency. They both ran a successful insurance agency but more importantly became pillars within the community for their involvement with numerous local charities and organizations. Bob and Ralph continued to grow the agency with personal attention to their customers and representing exceptional insurance carriers.

In 1999, Timothy R. Gilmore became the third generation owner of the agency. He continued the growth of the agency and community involvement his father and uncle established. With the purchase of 27 Elm Street in North Attleboro, the agency committed itself to the downtown North Attleboro area.

In 2008, Michael Michel joined the agency and in 2012 became part owner of the agency. Michael has concentrated on growing the commercial lines book of business for the agency. He has also promoted Junior Golf with his 24 hours of golf he conducts every year.

Today over 80 years later, it has become one of the largest family owned insurance agencies in Southeastern Massachusetts.

* Results are based upon data obtained from Arbella Mutual Insurance Company’s youthful operators who took the Distractology training when compared to those who did not from 2010 through 2014. The study showed that drivers were 19 percent less likely to have an accident and 25 percent less likely to receive traffic violations*