April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
The National Safety Council observes April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month to draw attention to this epidemic. NSC wants empower you to put safety first and Take Back Your Drive.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) distracted driving is “any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.” It’s not just texting or making calls on a cell phone; any activity that diverts a driver’s attention puts that driver, and her passengers, and everyone else sharing the road at serious risk.
A partial list of what counts as a distraction would include things such as using a cell phone or smart phone, including texting, eating and drinking, smoking, attending to or disciplining child passengers, grooming, reading, including maps, using a navigation system, watching a video, adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player or adjusting temperature controls.
The three main types of distraction: Manual, Visual, and Mental
Manual distractions are those where you move your hands away from the task of controlling the vehicle. Reaching for a soda in the drink carrier is an example of a manual distraction.
Visual distractions are those where you focus your eyes away from the road. You drop your soda, and when it spills all over the floor of the car, you look down: that is a visual distraction.
Mental distraction is when you’re mind wanders away from the task of driving. You start to think about how you are going to clean up the mess, and you’re no longer paying attention to the essential job of driving.
Texting has such a bad reputation due to the fact it involves all three types of distraction, all at once. Researchers found that talking on a cell phone quadruples your risk of an accident, about the same as if you were driving drunk. That risk doubles again, to eight times normal, if you are texting.
A 2009 study examined commercial vehicle crashes and concluded that text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times greater than driving without distraction. Sending or receiving a text message distracts a driver for about five seconds; at highway speeds that represents a distance of about 300 feet in which the car is essentially out of human control, driving itself.
According to the NHTSA, over 3,331 people were killed and over 387,000 injured in motor vehicle accidents connected to distracted driving. One study found at least 28 percent of vehicle crashes are caused by texting and cell phone use alone—never mind other distractions.
Young drivers are at the greatest risk for distracted driving incidents. Some researchers speculate that this is because inexperienced drivers are the most likely to overestimate their ability to multitask. In 2009, some 16 percent of teen drivers involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted.
Are drivers taking this seriously enough?
No. Surveys find that adults recognize that other drivers are behaving irresponsibly, but they find excuses for their own risky driving behavior.
Over 90% of drivers surveyed recognized the danger from cell phone distractions and found it “unacceptable” that drivers text or send e-mail while driving. Nevertheless, 35%nt of these same people admitted to having read or sent a text message or e-mail while driving in the previous month. Similarly, 66% of those surveyed admitted to talking on a cell phone.
There is no safe way to use a cell phone while driving – even hands free. Distracted driving takes many forms, but cell phone use is at the top. Research shows the brain remains distracted for 27 seconds after dialing, changing music or sending a text using voice commands. Almost everyone has seen a driver distracted by a cell phone, but often you don’t realize that distracted driver is you.
