Time to End Distracted Driving.

May 16, 2012

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of auto accidents today. It involves driving while engaged in other activities like texting, calling, writing things down, eating fast food or even applying makeup. According to research from David Strayer at the University of Utah, activities like talking on a cell phone quadruple your risk of an accident which means that talking on a cell phone while driving is almost as risky as driving drunk. When you text while driving, however, you are taking your eyes off the road for on average 4.6 seconds which makes you eight times more likely to get into an auto accident. This means that texting while driving is even riskier than driving while intoxicated.

How can you avoid this danger? It’s simple: don’t drive distracted. Put your phone on silent or turn it off while driving to and from a location. Have your passengers handle any emergent phone calls or text messages. If no passengers are available, pull over to a safe location prior to picking up your phone. Adjust your radio, CDs or IPods prior to starting your drive. Pull over to eat and put on makeup before or after driving. The solution is simple – think about your safety and the safety of others when you drive.

“We are seeing more and more auto accidents as a result of distracted driving,” said Hutch Brock, personal injury attorney at Johnson, Auvil, Brock & Pratico, P.A. “People need to be patient while driving and pull over to make the important text. The results of an auto accident caused by a distracted driver can be devastating and often are completely avoidable.”

For more information on distracted driving and how you can help prevent it, visit www.endDD.org.