Penny Harris
September 22, 2014
DRE-098
Distracted while driving Do you drive distracted? Do you care more about that phone call or text? Or what about that conversation or laughter in the backseat? A lot of people don't realize how selfish they are to put there life at risk, and more importantly the other people in the car with them or innocent bystanders as well as people in the other vehicle. In 2009, The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported the following, “almost 450,000 people were injured and 5,500 died in motor vehicle crashes in which distracted driving was a factor.” There are many things that can distract you while driving, let us examine why we should avoid them and a few of the main distractions while driving. The main causes of distracted driving our talking on the phone, texting while driving, as well as internal and external distractions. Talking on the phone or texting while driving I'll admit can be a great way to pass by time and get things done while driving, but is it safe? According to Virginia Tech Transportation Institutes (VTTI), “laboratory and naturalistic studies showed that talking on a cell phone raises the risk of collision by more than 30%.” Alternatively texting can be just as dangerous if not more dangerous because you take your eyes off the road to look down to text as well as thinking about the conversation. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) has stated the following on the subject, “For example, studies using a naturalistic methodology suggested that relative to non-distracted drivers, those drivers who text are 23 more times as likely to crash.” Even though studies point towards how dangerous phones are in use with a vehicle no major population based studies have been attempted. Some statistics for you: 71% of teens and young people say they have composed/sent SMS messages while driving where as 78% of teens and young adults say they have read an SMS message while driving According to NHTSA.gov. So you hear the term Distracted Driving and you automatically think just cellphone use but that couldn't be farther from the truth. There are internal distractions, in the car, and external for now we will go over some internal distractions that lead to a dangerous drive everyday. Some internal distractions can be eating and drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, read, including maps, using a navigation system, watching a video, or adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player. Eating and drinking could be as simple as spilling something all over you and getting distracted or trying to open a bottle coke then getting in a wreck. Talking to passengers can be especially distracting because you are trying to focus on the road and then you are distracted by some conversation in the back seat and you look into the rear view mirror then take your eyes off the road and run into the back of someone. Another big problem today is watching video while driving because even though cars are set up to only play video while a brake is applied there are many bypasses in which to watch movies illegally going down the road. According to National Occupant Protection Use Surveys (NOPUS), “At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010.” External issues could arise as well, I would categorize these as unforeseen events that could happen in the car or outside of the car while you are driving. Some examples of what could happen outside the car are as follows: Someone could run out into the street, someone could be dancing on the side of the street, or perhaps dancing naked on the side of the street or perhaps you are stuck looking at a desirable member of your specific attraction. There are a number of things that could distract you on the road, including a child's ball rolling into your way this is part of the reason all the previous distractions deter you from paying appropriate attention as well. Distractions lead to distractions, this is a good thing to remember when driving. Distracted driving as defined by distraction.gov, “Distracted driving is defined as any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety.” Examples of what could happen inside the car are as follows: A fight could break in the car between the passengers, the passengers could be engaged in horseplay, etc. For instance I personally knew a friend's kid who was driving while his brother was in the front passengers seat and the brother was play back and forth with two young ladies when he crawled all the way into the back of the vehicle from the front seat to grab his hat then he crawled back up front and fell into the young mans lap as he was driving and exiting the highway barely avoiding a wreck. Which brings up another thing, respecting the driver as a passenger in the vehicle, at sometimes it can take an enormous amount of concentration to drive, after all it only takes one misstep and you are in a wreck. That being said driving is a very dangerous task that takes lots of responsibility. You can go years where you do all the wrong things and never end up in a wreck but it only takes less than 5 seconds to end up killing someone or severely hurting yourself or your passengers. According to Virginia Tech Transportation Institutes (VTTI), “Five Seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55mph, that's enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.” Not to mention a football field is a lot wider than a lane in traffic meaning less room for error, and we are going a lot faster than 55mph most of the time. Every day we put ourselves at risk without even thinking about it, we do it instinctively. As a whole humans are a very social race, so perhaps we have trouble with not replying back or reading that text right away, and perhaps we can't help but stare at a wreck or something enticing on the side of the road. Regardless, take some time to ask someone who has been a victim of distractions while driving whether on the giving or receiving end I bet they changed there tune after the fact. So will you avoid distractions the next time you drive? If so, Take Action today at distraction.gov.

Sources Ferdinand, Alva O., and Nir Menachemi. "Associations Between Driving Performance and Engaging in Secondary Tasks: A Systematic Review." American Journal of Public Health (2014): E1-E10. Academic Search Complete. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
Wilson, Fernando A., and Jim P. Stimpson. "Trends in Fatalities From Distracted Driving in the United States, 1999 to 2008." American Journal of Public Health 100.11 (2010): 2213-219. Academic Search Complete. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.
NHTSA. "What Is Distracted Driving? Get the Facts." Distraction.gov. Http://www.nhtsa.gov/, 23 Sept. 214. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. .