Cell Phone Distracted Driving
Workers in many industries and occupations spend all or part of their workdays on the road. A study by Salminen & Lahdeniemi showed that compared with other drivers, those who drive as part of their work are much more likely to be distracted. Some of the reasons this occurs is because they are more likely to be in a hurry to reach their destination, think about work, be tired, or use a cell phone.
Consider this situation, you are driving down the road and your cellphone starts to ring. Without thinking about it, you take your eyes off the road to reach for your phone. You may not think much of it, but those seconds when your eyes are off the road could have deadly consequences. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), five distracted seconds at the speed of 55 mph is the same as driving the entire length of a football field with your eyes closed.
Statistics from the NHTSA state that, nine people are killed and more than 1,000 are injured daily from distraction-related crashes in the US. The NHTSA estimates that distracted driving killed 3,522 people in 2021, which is the most recent data available. These sobering statistics serve as a reminder that we can all do better at keeping our eyes on the road.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
During the month of April, you may see increased law enforcement presence on roads across the country as part of the national media campaign U Drive. U Text. U Pay. to remind drivers of the consequences of texting behind the wheel.
Presently, there is no nationwide ban on texting or using a cellphone while driving, but many states have rules around distracted driving, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, including 48 states banning texting while driving and 25 states banning the use of hand-held phones while driving.
Despite the state bans, distracted driving is still a prevalent problem. Research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that even though 96% of drivers say that texting and emailing while driving are serious or very serious threats to their safety, 39% admit to having read a text or email while driving in the past month, and 29% admit to typing a text or email while driving.
Distracted driving due to hand-held cellphone use is most prevalent among drivers who are 16 to 24 years old, according to the NHTSA’s National Occupant Protection Use Survey. To help prevent distracted driving by new drivers, be clear that they should not use their devices while driving. Show young drivers the importance of driving without distractions by leading by example—never text while driving.
In addition, AAA has 5 tips for helping to reduce driving distractions:
Plan your trip in advance and program GPS systems, set mirrors and climate controls, etc., before you begin driving.
Familiarize yourself with the features of your vehicle’s equipment before you hit the road.
Use message-taking functions and return calls when you’re stopped at a safe location.
Whenever possible, ask passengers to help you perform activities that may be distracting.
Secure mobile devices and any objects that may move and distract you while driving.
ACS offers Driver Safety Training. Contact ACS (clientservices@acs-safety.com) to schedule training for your company.