While driving to work this morning, I'm sure you have seen more than a distracted driver watching their smartphone, applying makeup or swallow breakfast instead of keeping their eyes on the road. This dangerous activity has become widespread and has reached epidemic levels. Due to the influx in distracted driving, Avril was officially named "Distracted Driving Awareness Month."
According www.distraction.gov, the US official government website for distracted driving, about 660,000 drivers use cell phones or playing with other electronic devices while driving. Despite increased awareness campaigns nationwide, the number has remained stable since 2010. While the number of accidents related to distracted driving, seems to have fallen some 3,360 in 2011 to 3.328 in 2012 (the the most updated information provided), it seems that the number of people who drive distracted did not decrease during this period.
So what is "distracted driving" you ask? According to the website listed above, "distracted driving is an activity that could distract a person away from primary task of driving. " Some early examples include texting, using a cell phone, eating and drinking, discussions with passengers, grooming, reading (. Including maps), using a navigation system, watching a video, and adjusting a CD / radio / MP3 player
Distraction.gov states:
- 25 percent of teens responding to at least one text message every time they take the wheel
- 20 percent of teens and 10 percent of adults admit to several text messages correspondence while driving
- 10 percent of all fatal accidents involving drivers under the age of 20 are the result of driver distraction. This is the highest proportion of distracted drivers among all age groups.
As if this were not enough, drivers in their 20s account for 27 percent of distracted drivers in fatal crashes. Given the amount of information available about the dangers of distracted driving, these figures are surprising.
When texting, the eyes of a driver are off the road for about 5.5 seconds. If they move at 55 mph, then they just pushed the length of a football field without looking at what is in front of them. When viewing driving while sending this light, it shows how dangerous this activity can be. A lot can happen in that space of time, and if drivers do not watch the road, it could end up with disastrous results. If you combine this figure with the percentage of people texting several times during a workout, the amount of the road being driven "blind" by distracted drivers is enough to make you never to drive again.
There is a big push by the government to fight against this problem, and therefore, there was a series of display ads presenting the dangers of distracted driving. These ads pull no punches, and with figures like those listed above, the time for sugar-coating the problem seems to be more.
I highly suggest taking a look at these ads to get a better idea of the dangers of distracted driving. The next time someone feels the urge to pull out their cell phone to text a friend, scroll their iPod for that perfect song, or take that last sip of their Big Gulp while behind the wheel, perhaps this information will think twice.
What precautions do you take to prevent distracted driving?
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