Distracted Driving - General Driver Safety
According to the CDC, there are three main types of distractions behind the wheel[1]:
- Manual - taking your hands off the steering wheel;
- Visual - taking your eyes off the road; and
- Cognitive - taking your attention away from driving.
There are plenty of things that can cause you to lose focus while driving. Anything that takes your attention away from driving is unsafe, and the more distracted you are, the more likely you are to cause a crash! Some examples of on-the-road distractions include, but aren’t limited to:
- Talking or texting on your cell phone
- Eating and drinking
- Using your car’s navigation system
- Changing radio stations
- Fixing your hair or makeup
- Interacting with your passengers - children and pets included
- Watching videos or surfing the web
- Reading, including maps
You may not think these things really impair your driving abilities very much, and many of these behaviors are on the rise. We want to stop that trend, and educate drivers of all ages about the dangers of distracted driving. This is the leading cause of death among teenage drivers[2], and a significant risk to adult drivers as well.
For example, if you are driving on a freeway at 55 mph and you look down at your navigation system to punch in an address for only 5 seconds, you will have driven the length of an entire football field without even looking![3]
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 1 out of 4 drivers admit to driving distracted.[4]We all have the power to help put an end to this epidemic! If you are a passenger, do not hesitate to call out your friends, and even your parents, if you see them using a cell phone behind the wheel, or doing anything that takes their attention away from driving.
Car crashes often happen in the blink of an eye, and it takes a commitment from you, the driver, to eliminate behind-the-wheel distractions. We want everyone to stay safe on our Georgia roads, so we’ve provided lots of helpful information here at iRideSafe™.com on how to be a mindful and responsible driver. So take a look around and start by taking our Safe Driver Pledge to eliminate distractions while you’re on the road.
For more information regarding state laws in Georgia, click here:
http://ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/bystate/ga.html
Additional Sources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Parents Central
Other Resources