Distracted Driving Essay
Accidents Caused by Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is quickly become the most common cause of traffic accidents in the United States. Drivers are doing more and more things behind the wheel that have nothing to do with the task of driving. The latest distraction, Pokémon Go, is just another example of drivers placing their safety and the safety of others at greater risk. From using social media while driving to eating and grooming, drivers are doing everything behind the wheel except what they should be doing — concentrating and focusing on the road ahead of them.
Some people believe the dangers of distracted driving are exaggerated. What do the numbers tell us?
How Serious Is The Problem Of Distracted Driving?
Approximately 1,161 people are injured …show more content…
Distracted driving is defined as any activity that takes your attention away from driving. Distractions work in one of three ways:
• Manual – The driver removes his or her hands from the steering wheel (i.e. eating)
• Visual – The driver looks away from the road ahead to perform a task (i.e. reading)
• Cognitive – The driver is focused on performing another task rather than thinking about driving (i.e. programming an address into the GPS)
Texting while driving is one of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving because it involves all three functions (visual, cognitive, and manual). A driver who is texting while driving is 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision.
To read, write, or send the average text, your focus is diverted for a minimum of five seconds. At 55 miles per hour, a driver who is texting travels the length of a football field without looking at the road. Because the average for texting while driving is about 10 seconds, the distance traveled is doubled. It only takes a fraction of a second to cause a motor vehicle accident.
Examples of distracted driving include:
• Texting while driving
• Talking on a cell phone
• Eating and drinking
•
Distracted driving is quickly become the most common cause of traffic accidents in the United States. Drivers are doing more and more things behind the wheel that have nothing to do with the task of driving. The latest distraction, Pokémon Go, is just another example of drivers placing their safety and the safety of others at greater risk. From using social media while driving to eating and grooming, drivers are doing everything behind the wheel except what they should be doing — concentrating and focusing on the road ahead of them.
Some people believe the dangers of distracted driving are exaggerated. What do the numbers tell us?
How Serious Is The Problem Of Distracted Driving?
Approximately 1,161 people are injured …show more content…
Distracted driving is defined as any activity that takes your attention away from driving. Distractions work in one of three ways:
• Manual – The driver removes his or her hands from the steering wheel (i.e. eating)
• Visual – The driver looks away from the road ahead to perform a task (i.e. reading)
• Cognitive – The driver is focused on performing another task rather than thinking about driving (i.e. programming an address into the GPS)
Texting while driving is one of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving because it involves all three functions (visual, cognitive, and manual). A driver who is texting while driving is 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision.
To read, write, or send the average text, your focus is diverted for a minimum of five seconds. At 55 miles per hour, a driver who is texting travels the length of a football field without looking at the road. Because the average for texting while driving is about 10 seconds, the distance traveled is doubled. It only takes a fraction of a second to cause a motor vehicle accident.
Examples of distracted driving include:
• Texting while driving
• Talking on a cell phone
• Eating and drinking
•