Distracted Driving

I have been noticing each and every day that there are more and more distracted drivers on the road. These drivers may be distracted by their radio, an in depth conversation with a passenger, children laughing or screaming in the backseat or even reading or sending text messages while driving. All of which can be potentially dangerous to the operator, their passengers, an unsuspecting pedestrian or other vehicle operators on the road. As a potential victim to an accident caused by distracted drivers, I am very concerned as we all should be. So the question I ask now is how can an operator safely drive while distracted? Is the convenience and time saved worth the dangers or deaths that can be caused to yourself or others? In order to safely operate a vehicle it requires a great deal of concentration, coordination, and quick reflexes to avoid potential accidents. Distracted driving takes the lives of thousands of people in the United States each year. 5,870 people were killed in 2008 and an additional 515,000 were reported injured due to distracted driving. According to the United States Department of Transportation there are three types of driver distractions; visual, manual, and cognitive. Visual distractions lead the drivers to take their eyes off of the road. Manual distractions lead the drivers to take their hands off of the steering wheel. Cognitive distractions lead the drivers to take their minds off of what they are doing. Experts say that texting is the most dangerous activity while driving because it involves all three types of distractions, but many parents will say otherwise. In 2001 the American Automobile Association reported that young children in the car were one of the leading causes of driver distraction crashes. Studies show that 60 percent of parents felt that driving alone with an infant in that backseat was “very distracting” while 80 percent of parents felt that it could cause an accident. One parent states “When I would lose patience