Travelers Institute Hosts Event at St. John’s University to Help Students Combat Distracted Driving

Business Wire

QUEENS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV), today will bring its Every Second Matters℠ education campaign to St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., to address distracted driving. More than 40,000 people died on U.S. roads in 2017 according to the National Safety Council. Policymakers, law enforcement and victims’ families point to distracted driving as a contributing factor, and today’s event will explore ways to curb this dangerous behavior. The event will be co-hosted by St. John’s University School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, its Gamma Iota Sigma chapter and a number of other student organizations, as well as by the National Safety Council, Road to Zero Coalition, Big I New York and Big I Tricounty.

“Distracted driving may not be new, but the distractions that have always existed are now compounded by so many different devices competing for our attention,” said Michael Klein, Executive Vice President, Personal Insurance, Travelers. “Our goal with the Every Second Matters series is to continue raising awareness about the devastating effects of distracted driving and motivate all drivers to stay focused behind the wheel so that the roads are safer for everyone. We’re pleased to partner with St. John’s University for today’s event and this important initiative.”

More than 90 percent of consumers surveyed in the 2018 Travelers Risk Index worry about distraction caused by people using personal technology while driving and 85 percent of respondents said it is extremely risky to use smartphones or tablets while driving. Despite those findings, more than one in five consumers surveyed admit to driving while using these devices.

“We’re excited to have the Travelers Institute join us on campus for this very important event,” said Jennie Lynn Martino, President of Gamma Iota Sigma’s Alpha Iota Chapter, a business fraternity for insurance, risk management and actuarial science students at St. John’s University. “The insurance industry has the data and resources to help solve widespread, complicated problems such as distracted driving. We’re happy to be able to contribute by raising awareness and inspiring young people to create actual change regarding this issue.”

The event will include a keynote address from Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jennifer Boyd, who produced, directed and wrote “3 Seconds Behind the Wheel,” a Travelers-sponsored public television documentary about distracted driving, co-produced by CPTV and Boyd Productions. Boyd and Klein will also join a panel discussion with Dr. Jessica Cicchino, Vice President for Research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and Captain Ralph Pascullo, Training and Emergency Management Coordinator at St. John’s University’s Office of Public Safety. Jessica Kearney, Executive Director of the Travelers Institute, will moderate.

Visit the Travelers Institute’s website for more information about the company’s Every Second Matters campaign.

About the Travelers Risk Index
Hart Research conducted a national online survey of 1,000 consumers, ages 18 to 69, in March 2018. The survey was commissioned by Travelers.

About the Travelers Institute
The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers’ senior management, as well as the technical expertise of many of Travelers’ underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information, analysis and solutions to public policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.