Causes And Consequences Of Distracted Driving

It’s amazing how many people will still drive distracted, either by texting, talking on the phone, or even not paying attention to what is in front of them. Over 5,000 distracted driver crashes have occurred in Utah in a year. This has resulted in 3,000 injured and almost 20 deaths. Wouldn 't you think that would be enough to make people think and see what is happening? Texting or looking at your phone is now illegal in most states yet so many people still do it. In many things I 've researched it says “At 55 mph, the average text takes your eyes off the road long enough to cover a football field.” So much can happen in that amount of time. Other distractions while driving are cell phones, other passengers in the car, internal and external things going on, The Radio/CD/DVD and most importantly

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 3,331 people were killed and over 387,000 injured in motor vehicle accidents connected to distracted driving (“Learn the Facts About Distracted Driving - EndDD”). Distracted driving is dangerous and needs to continue to be promoted and used for many more years.

The first thing a novice driver taught is to keep your eyes on the road. Constantly, an accident is associated with distraction. With all the today’s technology, it is easy for a driver to become distracted. Distraction is considered as anything the driver does besides not keeping their eyes on the road like eating, drinking, adjusting the A/C or fiddling with the radio (Berger, 2010).

What is distracted driving? Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger the driver, passengers, and bystander safety. I believe that it is extremely important to emphasize the dangers of distracted driving among all drivers, but most especially teenagers—in this age of new technology. I do think that many drivers are aware of the dangers of driving distracted, but it is also possible that they simply decide not to follow the rules.

Anyone who drives would more than likely admit to being distracted while driving. Many forms of distraction exist while driving. The most common forms include texting while driving, focusing the mind on something else, and talking with others in the car. The distractions people take part in create many serious problems like death. People do not realize that the smallest distractions can result in a life changing event.

According to Inkteen.com “In 2009, 5,474 lives were taken and 448,000 people got injured from car accidents from being distracted while driving, says the government.” Being able to drive may be a dream comes true, but it could easily turns into a nightmare that is never woken up from. The use of technology has grown in constant for many years, distracting people from things that are important. Texting and driving is one of the biggest problems in USA. However, not only are drivers putting themselves in danger, they’re putting passengers in their car and other drivers on the road in danger, too.

Distracted driving is a serious issue in the United States that can have major negative effects and needs to be rectified. Everyday accidents on the road occur and distracted driving plays a major role in them. It is commonly agreed upon that it needs to be rectified, but the important question is, whether the repercussions for distracted driving should be equated to drunken driving. Based on data, statistics, and the effects of distracted driving, the repercussions for distracted driving and drunken driving should be equated. Equating the repercussions will be effective in reducing the number of road fatalities by creating a sense of precaution and seriousness for all drivers.

Using a cell phone while driving is dangerous and could be deadly. 1. The severity of distracted driving can range from a totaled car to devastating injuries or fatalities. Most drivers do not realize they are not only putting themselves in danger when they drive distracted. They are also endangering those around them as well.

Facts How Big Is The Problem? FATALITIES: In 2012, 3,328 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver; 3,360 were killed in 2011. MAJOR/MINOR INJURIES: An additional, 421,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver in 2012, a 9% increase from the 387,000 people injured in 2011. In 2011, nearly one in five crashes (17%) in which someone was injured involved distracted driving.

What I found to be the most interesting from the reading that most of all car crashes are caused by distracted driving. Most distracted driving accidents are caused by teenagers or people who barley started driving. Distracted driving is caused when either the person who is operating the vehicle is paying attention to something that is going on inside the car or they are taking their attention to an object outside of the vehicle and not paying attention to the road. Over 5,000 distracted driving cases happen each year in the state of Utah. Nearly 3,000 of those cases result in injured persons and 28 result in death. The 8 main causes of distracted driving are: Cellphones (14%), passengers (12%), Other inside distractions (12%), External distractions

Most of us have been momentarily distracted while driving. Searching for a favorite radio station, dealing with a food spill, and looking for toll money are common distractions. We understand that these kinds of actions are distracting because they take our eyes off the road. But looking away from the road is just one type of distraction. According to the CDC there are three:

Just last night, the Oklahoma Highway reports a 17-year-old youth from Locust Grove was killed when the Jeep he was riding in went off a county road and struck a tree. The troopers say the cause of the crash was driver inattention. Distracted driving is defined as "any activity that could divert a person 's attention away from the primary task of driving. " Distracted driving can lead to minor fender benders or catastrophic collisions.

In this era, with technology as a part of everyday life, it has become difficult to use a simple Public Service Announcement (PSA) as a way to reduce distracted drivers. This is due, for the most part, to the developed habit of assuming. People believe, since it’s seen in many shows and commercials, that those ‘bad things’ that come as a result of distracted driving are not likely to occur to them. People want to prove that they are able to do multiple tasks at once and every PSA would be a challenge so to speak, to show they are above average at multitasking. Those such assumptions and aspirations to prove oneself have resulted in such growing rates. On the other hand however, there’s a way to use such a method for those who are prepared and

How to Fight Distracted Driving by Lianna Thompson Safer roads is a goal that virtually everyone benefits from since we all share the road infrastructure. However this goal of safe roads can be difficult since there are many circumstances that can put drivers in dangerous situations. But perhaps the one that has gotten the most attention as of late is the issue of distracted driving. There have been countless attempts in order to help stop this issue, yet it still remains one of the leading causes of auto accidents.

Cell phones, car stereos, passengers, GPS devices, and eating are the top five causes of distracted driving. “According to a 2009 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one of every five car crashes causing an injury involved some element of distracted driving, and 16% of all fatal automobile accidents involve distracted driving”1.