Each day, more than 9 people are killed and more than 1,153 people are injured in crashes involving distracted driving.
Distracted driving has no boundaries. New drivers, experienced drivers, teen drivers and elderly drivers are all equally likely to be involved in distracted driving car crashes.
Why do so many drivers think that safety operating a vehicle is not enough?
Distracted drivers cause car crashes
There are three main types of distraction:
Visual: taking your eyes off the road.
Manual: taking your hands off the wheel.
Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving.
Phone calls, texts, and even talking to passengers are cognitive distractions. Eating is both a manual and cognitive distraction. Personal tasks like putting on make-up or combing your hair is potentially visual, manual AND cognitively distracting.
No one group of drivers is guiltier of these distractions than any other group. Distracted driving is a pervasive problem.
We can all agree that driving safely is not a waste of time.
So why do we try to do so much behind the wheel?
There is so much at stake as we operate cars in our community. When you are behind the wheel, you’re not just responsible for your own safety, but for the safety of everyone around you.
Everything else can wait.
Distracted, multi-tasking drivers cause car crashes. With our full attention on the task of driving, so many deaths and injuries can be prevented.
Multitasking is a Myth
Myth 1: Drivers can multi-task.
Myth 2: Talking on a cellphone is just like speaking to a passenger.
Myth 3: Speaking hands-free is safe to use while driving.
Myth 4: I only use my cellphone at stoplights so it’s ok.
Myth 5: Voice-to-text is safe to do while driving.
Provided by The National Safety Council
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration counts over 3,000 deaths from distracted driving in 2013.
However, many more crashes resulting in serious injuries and fatalities may be attributed to driver distraction. Learn more at distraction.gov.
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