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Distracted Driving Is Very Dangerous

Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, flddling with the radio, entertainment or navigation system - anything that takes attention away from safe driving.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. I get questions all the time from parents worried about their kids, from kids worried about their parents, and everyone else. Distraction is not only dangerous, but it can also be deadly. Here are some 2015 statistics involving distracted drivers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

  • 3477 people were killed during distracted driving
  • 391,000 people were injured during distracted driving
  • 660,000 drivers are using cell phones while driving

The National Safety Council lists these Five Myths about Distracted Driving in this informative Infographic below:

  • Myth #1: Drivers Can Multitask -> Reality: You cannot totally focus on talking on the phone and safely driving. Trying to do both slows reaction time
  • Myth #2: Talking on a Cell Phone Is Just Like Speaking to a Passenger -> Reality: People in the car can help alert the driver to traffic problems. Those on a cell phone cannot.
  • Myth #3: Speaking Hands-Free Is Safe To Use While Driving -> Reality: Drivers on cell phones can miss seeing up to 50% of their driving environment including pedestrians and red lights
  • Myth #4: I Only Use My Phone At Stop Lights So It's Ok -> Reality: You're still distracted. In a recent study by AAA, people are distracted 27 seconds after they finish sending a voice text.
  • Myth #5: Voice-To-Text is Safe To Do While Driving -> Reality: Actually it's not. If thinking and sending the text is not distracting enough, the autocorrect (or lack of it) will drive you nuts!

With May's upcoming Graduation and Prom season quickly coming upon us, you need to know the facts about distracted driving. If you want more information, check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Safety Council, and the Distracted Driving Awareness month website.