Distracted Driving Awareness

A study released this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that young people are the least likely passengers to tell drivers to stop texting and driving or to stop talking on the cell phone.

These and other findings stem from a U.S. Department of Transportation survey that polled more than 6,000 drivers to “assess the public’s attitudes, knowledge, and self-reported behavior related to cell phones.”

Almost all the respondents considered texting and driving to be “very unsafe,” only a third of the younger respondents (those most likely to either text or to be in the car with someone texting behind the wheel) reported that they would speak up if they were a passenger and the driver was on the phone.

Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated, “Distracted driving is an epidemic on our roadways, and these new findings show that our youngest drivers are particularly at risk,” he said. “We’re encouraging young people across America to commit to distraction-free driving, spread the word to their family and friends, and speak up if the driver in their car is distracted.”

In case you’ve missed the background, the Department of Transportation has launched a huge “distracted driving” campaign. Although the department is referring to all sorts of distractions – from GPS screens to eating while driving – a main focus of the public health effort is on reducing cell phone use behind the wheel.

It attempts in particular to reach younger drivers. The department's statistics show that drivers younger than 25 are two to three times more likely to send a text or read an email while driving; drivers 18 to 20 years old also report the highest level of phone involvement in crashes or near crashes.


Here are some tips to protect you, your teen and the other driving public while driving:

1. Be well rested and alert before driving. Fatigue and physical exhaustion causes less mental alertness and a more easily distracted driver. If that means taking a short nap before a long drive home, it will be worth it to avoid a collision from being tired and distracted.
2. Keep safe driving as your first priority when driving. It is a mental task, but keep reminding yourself that getting someplace safely is more important than multitasking in the car, or looking at things you're curious about around your vehicle, and even more important than thinking about that problem in your life you need to solve.
3. Consider taking a defensive driving course.  As years go by, most drivers get lazy about good, safe driving habits. A defensive driving course can refresh your mind and motivation on safe driving practices. course that involves behind the wheel driving will be the most effective, but even a classroom course will help you remember and regain good, crash prevention driving habits that will help you avoid dangerous distractions.
4. Park to eat. If you are really so hungry that you need to eat immediately after getting a meal in a drive thru, park your car to eat, then drive to your destination. Unless it is finger food like fries, you will create a mess and be compelled to take your eyes off the road and hands off the wheel. Safe driving is more important than immediately satisfying your hunger. 
5. Drink with a lid on your cup, only going slow and straight or stopped.  If your drink did spill while driving, the mess will be much less with a lid. Also don't pick up the drink in the middle of a curve or turn. You need your hands and full attention on the road when turning. Being stopped is safest to pick up anything while driving. 
6. Don't hold a cup between your knees while driving.  The second you make a hard stop or tense you legs up, that cup is going to spill and with a paper cup the lid will probably be squeezed off.  Notice what is happening in the picture to the right. The driver is undershooting the cup holder trying to put the drink back.This can easily happen, especially while driving at a higher speed when attempting to put your drink down, causing a spill.
7. Pull to the curb to read a map or directions.  A map has such small print, it's impossible to safely read it while driving. If you are needing to find a specific address, write out the basic directions in large writing and short sentences (turn right on Jones st, left on 1st), before you drive there. If you must read the directions (not the map) while on the road, do it where you are stopped. Once you are in the gerneral neighborhood or vicinity pull to a curb, look at the directions or map then make your way there. One of the best ways to eliminate the distraction of looking at a map is to have a GPS system in your vehicle.
8. Find out what landmarks are near your destination before arriving.  I know when trying to find the home of one of my students, addresses are not always easy to see. Instead of continually looking at each house, I will call my student and ask the color of their house and what it is near, etc. so I can spot it easily without my eyes off the road too much.
9. Tell your passengers you need to keep your eyes on the road. Especially children, but any passenger might say "look at that..." while you are driving. Your first instinct is to look at what they are talking about. Learn to say "I can't I'm driving", it can save you from a collision.
10. Keep sun glasses within reach.  Sun glare can be a dangerous distraction that may come up unexpectedly when you turn in the direction of the sun. Many times my sun glasses, which I don't wear unless I need them, have helped me regain my vision when I turn into the sun. I keep them where I can reach them easily while driving (NOT the glove box.)
11. Check rearview mirror BEFORE you enter a curve or turn.  Although it is important to know what is behind you while driving, it is very critical to keep your eyes on the road ahead, especially on tight curves, because it's much easier to loose control when turning the steering wheel and head in a direction you didn't intend.
12. Keep both hands on the steering wheel in a curve or turn.  Don't reach for anything while turning the steering wheel and driving. You need both hands on the wheel to safely make your turn with the most control of your vehicle.  Distracted driving while in a turn is much more dangerous than while driving on a straight road.
13. Use restraints for your pet when you drive with them in the car.  Dogs, cats, and any other pet you might travel with are unpredictable. They can cause a crash by distracting the driver. Even if your pet is not the cause of a collision, they can be seriously injured, or injure you as any flying object would,traveling at a high speed toward you.  Also if your small pet is on your lap when you crash, that airbag will crush your pet against you and the airbag in a collision. Using pet seat belts or an animal carrier will be the safest way for your dog or cat to travel with you while driving.