Don’t Be a Distracted Driving Statistic
What if you were driving down the road, and took five seconds to check the messages on your phone? In those short few seconds your car weaved into the next lane and collided with a vehicle. You’re now on your way to the hospital, and so is the driver of the other car. Now you are likely without a car, you’ve probably sustained injuries that may make it difficult to work and you are probably going to be sued now. You just became a statisitic. How do we prevent this from happening in the future? There are steps that every driver can take to prevent distracted driving. These steps consist of turning off cell phones, not eating while driving, and abstaining from taking drugs (yes, even prescription) while driving.
Put Down the SmartPhone
In this technology-rich age, people have become obsessed with the need to stay connected all the time through their smartphones. Even while driving they are tempted to check text messages, reply, snap a selfie, or post to Facebook. It can be dangerous, even deadly, to use your smartphone while driving. It is illegal in the state of Connecticut to use your phone while driving. You can use a hands-free device but they are trying to ban the use of these as well. This spring and summer towns in Connecticut are cracking down on distracted driving. Here are a few distracted driving facts and statistics you may not be aware of.
- Even if you are stopped at a light or stop sign it is still illegal to use your smartphone.
- You have to be stopped with the car in park, or even safer turned off, to legally use your smartphone.
- You are 23 times more likely to crash if you are texting while driving
- Observations recorded by in-vehicle instrumentation show that almost 80% of all crashes and 65% of all near-crashes involved the driver looking away from the roadway just prior to the event
If you’re driving there should be no need to pick up your smartphone and read/respond to text messages. Emergencies are important, but are they worth your or someone else’s life? Nothing is worth the potential loss of life that may occur as the result of distracted driving. Statistically, car accidents that are the result of a driver being distracted by texting, or phone calls were about 23% in 2011 which is about 1.3 million crashes. Putting down your mobile device while driving could save a life.
Everyone Loves to Eat, But Should You While Driving?
Distracted driving is not only caused by using a mobile phone while driving. Distracted driving is caused by anything that can distract the person driving the car. Eating while driving is a form of distracted driving, and it is illegal.
How many times have you stopped at the local drive-thru and grabbed the burger out of the bag to eat on the way home? Now what happens if you drop the burger, or ketchup falls out of the burger, or the burger is still hot? You become distracted.
You don’t hear a lot about distracted driving while eating, and there certainly aren’t a lot of statistics for it, but it does exist and it can be deadly. Just as with a smartphone, if you are at a stoplight and you grab a handful of fries you are breaking the law.
Imagine if you are at the light, you have your hands off the steering wheel to eat and you’re rear-ended. You now have no control of the car and potentially cause unnecessary injuries to others waiting at the light or someone in the crosswalk.
Final Thought on Distracted Driving
Under no circumstances should you be distracted by your own actions while driving. These are just two examples of distracted driving but there are plenty more. If it is something that can take your eyes off the road even for a second it’s dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Avoid serious injuries or the loss of life by being a responsible driver.