Roads, especially in our area, are busy at nearly all times of the day, so its wise to stay focused on the task of driving instead of answering a call or a message. Various institutions have been studying this issue for the past several years. Here are a few facts regarding distracted driving:
- Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37% (Carnegie Mellon)
- Nearly 6,000 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver, and more than half a million were injured. (NHTSA)
- The younger, inexperienced drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes. (NHTSA)
- Drivers who use hand held devices are four times as likely to have a crash serious enough to injure themselves. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Using a cell phone while driving-either hand-held or hands-free-delays a driver's reactions as much as having a BAC of .08%. (University of Utah)
There is enough evidence in academia to show a direct causation between distraction and risk of serious accident. Remember, when in the car, your first and most important priority is to operate the vehicle safely.
Between endless road construction, animals, weather and other drivers, there are plenty of hazards on the road without adding a degree of difficulty for yourself. Remember to stay focused-it could save your life!
