Every daylight moment in America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or an electronic device while driving*.
As technology evolves, so do the temptations of distracted driving. Thousands of people are killed each year, and hundreds-of-thousands injured because of the little distractions that take your eyes, mind, or hands off driving.
Distracted driving is defined as any activity that takes the drivers attention away from operating the vehicle. Texting, talking on a cell phone, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, and adjusting the radio are all forms of distractions for the driver. Each of these actions can endanger the driver, passenger, and bystanders.
What’s the best way to end distracted driving? According to Distraction.Gov, the Official Government Website for Distracted Driving, the best way to end distracted driving is to be educated about the risks and dangers.
Facts about Distracted Driving*
- 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.
- Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use.
- Drivers in their 20s make up 27 percent of the distracted drivers in fatal crashes.
- In 2013, 3,154 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
- In 2013, 424,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
- Engaging in visual-manual subtasks (such as reaching for a phone, dialing and texting) associated with the use of hand-held phones and other portable devices increased the risk of getting into a crash by three times.
READ MORE TIPS ABOUT DRIVER SAFETY AND DRIVING IN THE USA
*Source: Distraction.Gov
