Most of us have experienced driving down the highway, minding our own business, when a driver coming towards us veers into our lane for a second or weaves inside their own lane. Nine times out of ten, that driver was distracted by their cell phone, the radio, or something else going on inside the vehicle. It is a scary situation and seems to be getting worse instead of better.
Distracted driving has become one of the most dangerous habits on America’s roads today. Despite years of public awareness campaigns, tougher laws, and heartbreaking stories in the news, too many drivers still think they can “multi-task.” The truth is, they cannot, and people are dying because of it.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, not only were thousands of people injured in traffic accidents caused by distracted driving, but more than 3,300 people were killed in 2022. In 2023, the numbers got worse with 3,275 lives being taken due to drivers not paying attention to the road.
Keep in mind those statistics may be even worse. Studies such as one of car accidents in Modesto, California attributed 26% of accidents to traffic light violations and 36% to right-of-way violations. Distracted riving may have been a contributing factor in these actions. This is due to the fact that law enforcement officers cannot always prove that distraction was the cause of a crash unless a driver admits to it or if the officer or prosecutor is able to access their phone data to see if they were on it at the time of the crash.
One example of this situation is when a man was driving down a two-lane highway in Ohio last year and went left of center, hitting another vehicle head-on and instantly killing the driver. Police officers were able to check out the man’s phone and could prove he was scrolling through a social media site at the time of the crash. He was sentenced to time in prison, so not only did he take someone’s life, but he also ruined his own.
Cell phones are the main culprit, but they are definitely not the only ones. Drivers can be distracted by eating while driving down the street, fiddling with their GPS, talking to passengers in their vehicle, applying makeup, or even daydreaming. Anything that takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, or your mind off driving counts as a distraction. It is important to note that it only takes a split second for a tragedy to happen.
Three Types of Distractions
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are three types of distractions that can affect a person’s driving ability while out on the road. Those include:
- Visual distractions: This type of distraction can include looking at your phone for only one or two seconds while taking your eyes off the road. It can even include picking something up off the floor that you dropped or looking at your GPS or map.
- Manual distractions: When you take your hands off the wheel to grab a drink, adjust the radio, or type a text or social media comment.
- Cognitive distractions: This is when you become distracted while driving because your mind drifts away as you are daydreaming or lost in thought about a work situation or some other issue.
- Audible distractions: Some experts add this type of distraction, which includes things like turning to talk to a passenger or even your kids in the back seat, or listening to loud music.
Also, think about the fact that when you are texting while driving, it takes your eyes off the road for about five seconds. That is long enough for you to travel the length of a football field if you’re going 55 mph. It is basically the same thing as doing that blindfolded.
Distracted driving is not just being careless; it can be deadly. No text or social media post is more important than someone’s life, including your own.
