April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. One Text or Call Could Wreck It All!! Distracted driving is any activity that diverts a person’s attention from the primary task of driving. All forms of distracted driving endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety.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.
Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America’s roadways. Fact: 3,154 people were killed in last year and an estimated 424,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes that involved distracted drivers. Our youngest and most inexperienced drivers are most at risk, with 10% of all distracted driving crashes involving drivers under the age of 20. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted. Click here for more facts.
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts a driver’s attention away from driving. Distracted driving includes texting, using a cellphone, eating or drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading, using a navigational device, watching a video or adjusting a radio, CD player , etc. The three types of distractions are visual, manual and cognitive. Visual involves taking your eyes off the road, manual consists of taking your hands of the wheel and cognitive involves taking your mind off what you’re doing. This is one reason texting while driving is especially dangerous, as it involves all three types. Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, which at 55 (miles per hour) is equivalent to driving the length of a football field.
According to the NHTSA website, cell phone use is a major problem. “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,” the website said. “Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America’s roadways.” Spread the word and stay safe!