Tag Archives: distracted drivers

General Safety Issues

DANGERS OF DISTRACTED DRIVING (GUEST POST)

 Distracted driving is a very dangerous problem throughout the United States. In 2011 NHTSA reported over 3,000 people were killed in distracted driving crashes. Distracted driving is most prevalent among young adults. It is reported that 16% of all drivers under 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. It is no surprise with all the love for technology and social media this age group is the largest percentage of drivers who are distracted.  In fact teen drivers are more likely than any other age group to be involved in a fatal distracted crash.

There are 3 main types of distracted driving; visual, manual and cognitive. Visual distractions are taking your eyes off the road to look at such things as your phone, watching a video, looking at GPS or reading a map. Manual distractions are taking your hands off the wheel to text, eat/drink or adjust the radio. Cognitive is taking your mind off of what you are doing, by talking to other passengers or on your phone, sleepiness or any other mental distraction.

Out of all the three different forms of distractions and activities text messaging is the most dangerous as it requires visual, manual and cognitive attention from the driver. Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes off of the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. This is equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field blind, if you were driving at 55mph as most people do on a highway. Drivers are three times more likely to get into a crash by engaging in such visual-manual tasks.  In fact of all American teens 40% say they have been in a car where the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger.

At any given moment there are over 800,000 vehicles driving in the U.S while using a cell phone in some capacity. This results in a 23% increase of potential accidents on all roads. State laws throughout the country are helping to enforce a no cell phone/texting driving policy. These have helped in the effort but there are still many accidents occurring. How else can we help to solve this problem? The best way to end distracted driving is through education and learning the dangers. The United States Department of Transportation have held two summits on the topic, along with programs such as ATT’s texting and driving campaign “It Can Wait”,  which is now working with ABC Family and a variety of their show’s stars to help educate teen drivers. There was also a texting and driving episode famously mentioned on “Glee”. The continued effort through media is helping to bring awareness to not only teens but across all ages.

By sharing these facts we can help to save lives. For more information, or if you were in an accident due to a Distracted Driver contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in your local area. Tiano O’Dell PLLC (http://www.westvirginiapersonalinjurylawyer.net/) offers information and resources to individuals who are in need of legal representation in the West Virginia area for those who have been hurt by drunk drivers. 

(All facts brought to you thanks to NHTSA’s www.distraction.gov)

General Safety Issues

Cell Phone Use While Driving: A Preventable Danger (Guest Post)

Sent to us by Brandy Anderson.

Texting drivers are twenty-three times more likely to be involved in an accident than non-texting drivers. They recognize the danger, too: forty per cent of teens admit that they have been passengers in a car and felt at risk of a crash while the driver used a cell phone in a hazardous manner. Despite the risk, nearly fifty per cent of teenagers admit to texting while driving, and estimates report that one million people chat or text while driving each day.

This bad habit has tragic consequences. In 2010 alone, almost 3100 people were killed and 416,000 more were injured in motor vehicle accidents that were caused by a distracted driver.

One study by Car and Driver found that texting while driving impaired reaction times significantly more than driving while drunk. Society as a whole is aware of the risk of drinking and driving and collectively condemns that behavior. It’s astounding that attitudes regarding cell phone use while driving are so dramatically different.

Many still consider this habit to be acceptable regardless of the risk. Some are reluctant to admit the danger and claim that they have the ability to multitask and drive. However, a study by Carnegie Mellon University shows that simply listening to someone speak while driving reduces cognitive functions by thirty-seven per cent. Regardless of one’s claimed ability to multitask, the fact is clear: Driving performance is drastically impaired by using a cell phone.

One tragic case involved a teen girl in Alaska who fatally hit a man early on Easter Sunday in 2011. The investigation found the girl to be texting while driving and continued to text “OMG, OMG” while leaving the scene of the accident. After hearing news of this story, Jim Wojciehowski, a physician’s assistant in Alaska decided to do something to prevent tragedies like this from occurring in the future. He came up with an idea for a smartphone app that would eliminate phone distraction while driving.

He created Silent Driver, which works by blocking all incoming calls and texts when a user is moving faster than 10 mph. It also locks the phone so that the user can’t place a text or make a call while driving. The phone allows users to include three safe numbers, so if something happens while the user is moving, they can still call for help. Parents have the option to password protect the app on their teenager’s phone to ensure responsible driving, and they receive a notification if there is any attempt to disable it.

By reducing distractions from cell phones, drivers are free from the temptation to use their phones while operating a vehicle. Download Silent Driver for your phone and commit to driving safely. By focusing on the task of driving, you avoid a preventable accident and the risk of harming yourself or others.  No text or call is worth risking your own or your loved ones’ lives. 

Author Bio:
Brandy is an MBA student at the University of Colorado Denver. She enjoys topics related to environmental issues, technology, business, and social responsibility.  Click here for Brandy’s Twitter.

General Safety Issues

PAY ATTENTION, ALL DRIVERS!

This is one article that we hope drives home the importance of paying 100 percent attention when you are behind the wheel of a vehicle.  They say a “picture is worth a thousand words,” but the two pictures we are presenting to you are worth much more than that, if they serve to save one life, or many lives.

 

 

Wreck1

Wreck2

The make and model of these two pickups are hard to detect; however, they both were fairly new.  One driver reportedly drifted into oncoming traffic at the bottom of a blind curve, striking the other pickup.  The man in the correct lane was crushed inside the wreckage of the pickup, while the vehicle that veered into his lane caught fire, with the driver inside.  Both died at the scene.  It was reported that the impact was so severe that both vehicles came to an abrupt stop.

You must always drive defensively, as you never can forecast what the other driver may do.  Some may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, while others are busy texting or talking on their cell phones.  There are other times for using phones and/or drinking, and doing so while driving is not appropriate.  It is unknown whether the driver of the first vehicle was using a cell phone, went to sleep, or the exact cause of the accident.  It happened on a curvy State Highway, and in an area where there are very few places to pass.

The pictures deliver the message:  forget about any distractions you might have to contend with.  Wait to talk on the phone when you get home, or pull over and stop.  Turn the radio down enough that you can hear what’s going on around you.  Don’t drink and drive, or drive under the influence of medications.  It’s the same old saying:  distracted driving kills.  Please be careful; don’t become a statistic!

Our thanks to the De Leon, Texas Free Press for sharing their pictures and information