“Every day in the United States more than 16 people are killed and more than 1,300 people are injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.” As said by the Oelwein Police Department. A distraction is a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. Therefore, distracted driving is any non- driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increases the risk of crashing. There are three main types of distraction consisting of visual, manual and cognitive. A visual distraction is anything that takes your eyes off of the road, a manual distraction is anything that causes you to take your hands off the wheel or feet off of the pedal, and finally, a cognitive distraction is anything that causes you to take your mind and thoughts off of what you are doing or needing to focus on, in this case, all of these being involving driving. Some examples of these distractions are texting or cell phone use, adjusting the radio or climate controls, talking to others, using a PDA or a navigation system, reading, looking at maps, looking for a dropped item, applying make-up, and eating or drinking.
Distracted driving does increase the risk of a car crash because evidence shows that distracted driving is one of the main causes of crashes in the United States. “In 2010, nearly one in five crashes (18%) in which someone was injured involved distracted driving.” According to www.cdc.gov on distracted driving in their motor vehicle safety column. Likewise, “Of those killed in distracted-driving-related crashes, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction.” (2009, NHTSA). As a matter of fact, “49% of drivers with cell phones under the age of 35 send or read text messages while driving.” Told by the Harris Poll. Together with texting and driving, the statistics from University of Utah in 2009 stated that “Using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s handheld or hands-free, delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.”
As you can see, distracted driving does increase the risk of a car crash. Yet, despite the efforts from organizations, leaders and our peers the death rates have stayed at about the same numbers. Distracted driving is not a joke and can severely injure many people if not stopped. There are things we can do as drivers to help bring those numbers down. These things may be easier said than done but if you make an effort it could mean the difference between life and death. First, turn off and put away your cell phone so it is out of sight and out of mind, making it easier for you to resist temptation. Second, if you need to be reachable at all times, get a hands-free device like Bluetooth and program it into your vehicle, but make sure to keep your mind focused on the road at all times. You should only use Bluetooth in case of emergencies, though because studies have shown that hands-free devices prove just as distracting as normal cell phone use while driving. Third, when driving with children or pets, make sure the kids are strapped into their seats and pets are in carriers. If they need your attention during the drive, pull over before handling the situation. That way, you are out of harm’s way and you can remain focused on the road and focused on the distractions when needed. Also, you should eat before or after you drive. Lastly, program your GPS or any other navigation system before you leave the driveway. If practiced regularly, there is great possibility that these death rate numbers will decrease and we can start making the roads a safer place for everyone.
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