In a car nowadays, this saying takes on a whole new meaning. Recent statistics indicate that up to 20% of vehicular accidents are caused by drivers engaging in distracted driving behaviors. In distracted-driving accidents involving fatalities, up to 18% were related to cell phone use. The age at which this issue is most prevalent is the under-20 group, where 16% of them were reported to have been distracted while operating the vehicle.
According to the University of Utah, it’s been determined that using a cell phone while driving (whether hand-held or hands-free) causes a driver delay in reaction to a situation that is equal to having a blood alcohol level of .08%.
There are three main types of distractions: visual (taking your eyes off the road), manual (taking your hands off the wheel) and cognitive (taking your mind off what you’re doing). Given that in 2009, 5,474 people were killed and over 448,000 were injured in accidents that involved some type of distraction, take heed and avoid doing any distracting activities, including but not limited to:
Most importantly, use common sense.
