Michael Murphy - State Farm Agent

New teen driver in your household?
Discuss consequences!

Teenage speeding or drinking and driving puts lives and licenses on the line.

It can also be expensive, and tickets can increase insurance premiums.

Consider setting consequences or creating a formal agreement within your own household, such as a zero-tolerance policy for impaired driving, may also encourage your teen to practice safe driving habits.

In 2023, NHTSA reported that 3,275 deaths occurred due to distracted driving.

A 2025 survey from State Farm showed that 80% of drivers admit to engaging in at least one distracting behavior while driving. Here are some findings from the survey:

45% manually type GPS addresses while driving

44% scroll through music playlists

39% read or send text messages

34% manually dial cell phones

28% manually interact with cell phone apps

21% read or send emails

About 65% of drivers believe it’s okay to take their eyes off the road for 2 or more seconds
A 2-second glance away from the road actually doubles crash risk
Reading or sending a text takes 4.6 seconds on average
It takes 4.6 seconds to drive the length of a football field at 55 mph
The takeaway — reading a text is like traveling the length of a football field at 55 mph with your eyes off the road
According to auto telematics data, 1 in 3 crashes occurs within one minute of a driver using their phone
State Farm believes in educating the public about the importance of vehicle, driver and passenger safety. Please
stay safe behind the wheel!

Traveling with pets!!

When transporting your dog in a car, it's very important to make sure they are safe and secure. Unrestrained pets may be a distraction and pose serious possible risks. In an accident, an unrestrained pet could be injured, killed or even lost if thrown from the vehicle.
Just like children, dogs should never ride with their heads out of a window. A dog's eyes, ears or nose could be injured from flying debris such as leaves, pebbles or a bug.
If you're planning a long road trip, make sure your dog is used to riding in a vehicle. Take them on short drives and then gradually lengthen the time spent in the car. The safest way for dogs to travel in a car is in a crate. The crate should be large enough for your pet to stand, sit, lie down and turn around in.
Never leave your pets in the car alone for any period of time. Temperatures can rise 20° in just 10 minutes, putting them at risk.

🚨Safe driving tips!🚨

Did you know...

Taking your eyes off the road for 2 seconds doubles your risk of being in an accident.

The average time it takes to read a text message is about 5 seconds.
If you're driving at 55 mph and look at your phone to read a text, you will likely drive the full length of a football field without watching where you were going.

Teen safe driving tips!
Eliminate distractions!!

Distractions heighten risk for new and experienced drivers alike.

Your teen will probably have a cellphone with them when they drive so remind your teen of the importance of not texting and driving.

Also, encourage your teen to pull over when making a phone call or when sending a text. Even while using a handsfree device or Bluetooth, a phone call can be distracting.

Ways to help with teen driving safety!

Choose the right vehicle. When picking out a car for your teen driver there are lots of things to consider.
Examine the vehicle’s safety ratings, cost and features that might help your teen such as blind spot detection and backup cameras.

These statistics were quite surprising!
Hopefully by passing it along to our customers, we can all be more aware and help reduce crashes and save lives!♥️

So that our team can celebrate the holiday weekend, our office will be closed on FRIDAY, JULY 4TH!
We hope you and your family have a happy and safe
4th of July!

WE'RE HIRING! 📣📣
Looking for a workplace that's enjoyable and offers growth opportunities?
Contact our office for an interview!

Our team wishes you a HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING! 🐦🌸🌻

Spring is a great time to review your policies!
Please reach out to our office to schedule an appointment!