How Distracted Driving Can be Very Dangerous

Driving distracted is dangerous to the driver and the passengers in the car, as well as pedestrians, and other cars on the road. As a matter of fact, drivers who use mobile devices are 4-times more prone to get into a crash that can cause serious injury. Today, 11 states across the U.S have banned the use of mobile phones while driving.

The Dangers

Even as people lead busier lives, they look for ways and means of multi-tasking and this is something that all of us do, to a certain degree. But when people attempt to multi-task while they are driving, it can have disastrous outcomes. Distracted driving is now almost an epidemic and the measures that are being taken to prevent it are no less than what would be taken to treat one. Studies have shown that using a mobile phone while driving significantly reduces the amount of brain activity that is associated with driving, by 37%.

The Distraction Quotient

A National Safety Council report found that more than 1 out of every 4 traffic accidents is a result of people texting or talking on cell phones. In the context of crashes caused due to distracted driving, cell phone usage becomes a major culprit as it combines 3 types of distractions, visual, manual, and cognitive. In simple words, when you text, you take your eyes off the road ahead of you, your hands off the steering wheel and your mind off driving.

Other Causes

The other causes of driving distracted are:

• Eating while driving
• Putting on makeup while at the wheel
• Attending to a child
• Arguing while driving
• Driving while upset or angry

Today, the NHTSA is making every effort of changing the manner in which they approach the issues related to distracted driving, via legislation and enforcement, public awareness, and education. Incidentally, these are also the tactics that helped curbed drinking and driving and increased the use of seat belts.

A Collective Effort

The collective-efforts of local, state as well as national advocates is the best way to curb the problem and that is what the government is attempting to do. But it’s also important for the public to be proactive with following some basic driving dos and don’ts. Sign up on our homepage for our online Defensive Driving course and learn safe driving techniques today!