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Dangers of Distracted Driving
August 30, 2020
Distracted driving is not a new phenomenon. Things that are capable of diverting a driver’s attention away from the road have been around even before there were actual cars on the road. However, these past few years saw the problem become even bigger due to the invention and subsequent mass adoption of mobile devices. This goes along with the popularity of the “on-the-go” lifestyle, where people try to cram as many activities as they can in their schedules - to the point of doing other activities, such as drinking or eating while driving.
In fact, most people tend to have a very limited understanding of what constitutes distracted driving these days. There are many activities that people don’t realize pose a very real risk to their safety just because it is not commonly known as a distraction while driving.
Some of the examples of things that can distract a driver include:
Using a smartphone
– whether you are texting, calling, browsing the web, or just looking at pictures, it is still dangerous as long as you are holding and using a phone as opposed to holding the steering wheels and focusing on the road.
Fiddling with a GPS navigation system
– most people tend to give this one a pass, because it is an activity meant to help one who is driving. But sometimes people tend to focus too much on the GPS device (especially ones that are handheld as opposed to mounted on the dashboard) that they lose track of the road itself.
Eating or drinking –
popping a candy in your mouth from time to time is fine, but taking one or both of your hands away from the steering wheel for long periods of time just to fiddle with a burger or a coffee cup is dangerous.
Talking to Passengers
– even if the driver is talking to the passenger without taking his eyes off the road, the mere act of talking and thinking about what they are talking about is distraction enough, and may negatively affect the driver’s reaction times.
Fiddling with the Radio
– long drives to and from work can get lonely and boring, so listening to music is understandable but fiddling too much with the radio while driving can be dangerous.
Grooming
– as mentioned above, the “on-the-go” lifestyle has resulted in many individuals doing their grooming, such as combing, putting on make up, adjusting clothes, etc., while driving. This is very disruptive and greatly lessens a driver’s ability to react to things on the road.
There are a number of reasons why distracted driving can (and usually will) result in accidents. Among these are:
Cognitive Distraction
A human’s brain can multitask, but it is only capable of processing a certain amount of information at any given time. Driving a vehicle, despite looking simple, is a complex task involving multiple actions that take up most of the brain’s processing capability. If you introduce any other tasks to the equation, you could end up reducing the brain’s efficiency at driving, while also affecting a person’s split-decision making ability
Visual Distraction
It is pretty much subject to common sense, and sounds so simple in writing, but it is surprising how so many drivers fail to even follow the simple rule that says you have to “look where you are going.” Many drivers’ eyes wander away far too frequently from where they should be looking, which is on the road or on the number of mirrors that help their spatial awareness while inside a car (such as the side mirrors.)
It does not matter even if your eyes are opened. If you are looking at something else instead of paying attention to where you are going, then you might as well drive with your eyes closed because it has the same risks involved.
According to studies, texting takes a driver’s attention away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, which is enough time for a fatal accident to occur. It is said that texting while driving at 55mph is equivalent to driving through an entire football field while the eyes are closed.
Driving by itself already requires a person’s visual, cognitive, and motor skills working closely at the same time so it is no surprise that simply adding a distraction to one of them is enough to ruin the whole system.
Setting a Good Example
Distractions while driving should be avoided no matter how confident you are in your driving skill or how harmless it may seem. Keep your eyes trained on the road at all times. Aside from ensuring your safety, avoiding distractions while you are driving is also important if you are riding with other people (especially teenagers) because you can set a good example. If they adopt your driving habits, you may actually end up saving their life.
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