(HealthNewsDigest.com) – New York, April 3, 2018 — As Distracted Driving Awareness Month begins, The National Road Safety Foundation reminds drivers that distraction has become the leading cause of fatal traffic crashes. Talking and texting on cell phones, while the most talked-about cause of driver distraction, is not the only thing that can distract a driver.
“Seemingly harmless things like tuning the radio, adjusting the GPS, eating or drinking can take a driver’s mind off the road, with potentially deadly results,” said Michelle Anderson, Director of Operations at The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit group that promotes safe driving behavior. “Even talking to other passengers in the car can be a dangerous distraction.”
Traffic fatalities rose by more than seven percent in 2015 and 2016, after decades of consistently lower numbers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The estimate for 2017 stands at 40,100, and traffic safety experts confirm that much of the increase is caused by distraction.
A recent survey by the AAA Foundation found 78 percent of drivers believe it’s dangerous to talk or text while driving, yet nearly half admit to recently talking on a hand-held phone while driving and nearly 35 percent have sent a text or email. Studies show drivers are three times more likely to crash when talking on a phone and 23 times more likely to crash when entering information into their phones or texting.
Texting or talking on a cell, even with a hands-free device, creates a cognitive distraction, taking concentration off the main task at hand — driving. Texting also takes the driver’s eyes off the road for at least three or four seconds, the equivalent at highway speeds of driving blind for the length of a football field. Using a cell phone while driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free, impairs a driver’s reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.
Other common distractions include buckling seatbelts, adjusting seats and mirrors while driving, reading a GPS device, tuning the radio or changing a CD or iPod, applying makeup, eating or drinking, reaching for personal belongings or turning your head to talk with fellow passengers.
Teens, who are less experienced behind the wheel, are especially at risk. Yet, a National Safety Council survey last year found 35 percent of teens say they would use social media while behind the wheel.
“Perceptions are not in step with the realities of distraction,” said The National Road Safety Foundation’s Anderson. “Part of the solution is simply becoming aware of what creates driver distraction and remembering that drivers must always keep their hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and their mind on the task of driving.”
The National Road Safety Foundation has brief videos about distracted driving that can be viewed or downloaded at no charge from http://www.nrsf.org/programs/distracted-driving.
The site also has a free downloadable self-assessment quiz titled “Am I Distracted?” that points out common behaviors that cause distraction while driving.
The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded more than 50 years ago, produces traffic safety programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency, pedestrian safety and a host of other safety issues. It distributes the programs free of charge to schools, police and traffic safety advocates, community groups and individuals. It also sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities. For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org or www.teenlane.org and “Like” us on Facebook.
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