In a recent study conducted Professor John D. Lee of the University of Iowa, 88 percent of drivers believe they drive safer and better than others on the road. This contradicts other results of the study, however, showing that aggressive and distracted drivers may play a role in the over 40,000 motor vehicle deaths each year. In addition, the rate for disabling injuries caused by vehicle crashes is well over 2 million per year, according to the National Safety Council.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 80% of crashes and 65% of near crashes were caused by driver distractions just three seconds before the occurrence.
In the study, Lee found that accidents are more likely to occur when drivers are performing activities not related to driving- “three times more likely when the driver is performing a complex[…](such as dialing a phone or texting), and twice as likely during a moderately complex task (such as inserting a CD)”
According to Virginia Technical Transportation Institute (VTTI) distractions can be placed in three categories: cognitive, visual and manual. Visual distractions include looking at an object in or out of a moving vehicle or even reading.
Cognitive distractions are those which take the drivers mind off the road, including driving while angry, upset, or tired which may result in unsafe or aggressive driving behaviors. Examples of these unsafe behaviors include: “running stop signs or red lights, preventing other drivers from passing, speeding, illegal driving on the shoulder and failing to yield,” according to a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analysis.
“It’s easy to think that other guy is the problem- the one who runs someone off the road, tailgates, or yells obscenities. In reality, examples of driving aggressively- any of which can lead to crashes, injuries, and deaths- are all too common,” said AAA Foundation CEO, Peter Kissinger. The analysis reveals these behaviors as contributing to one in three deadly crashes- or 56 percent.
Manual distractions are those that require one or both of the operator’s hands to be removed from the steering wheel, reaching for an object in the car, applying makeup or performing other hygiene tasks, adjusting the seat, mirrors or other controls within the vehicle, and most often- operating a cellular phone, whether it be dialing, answering or texting.
Studies have shown that even using a hands-free device does not decrease a driver’s distraction, rather, places it in the cognitive distraction category and that at any daytime moment, 10 percent of all drivers on the road are operating a cellular phone.
One way to avoid these distractions is to stay calm while driving and use red lights or stop signs as opportunity to adjust reach for an object, adjust the radio, seat or mirrors, or various other distracting tasks.
VTTI also suggests when traveling with children in the vehicle to provide them with games and toys for entertainment. They strongly recommend containing pets in a kennel, travel carrier or special seat belt harness and to never allow pets to ride in the driver’s or passenger’s lap, as this could cause harm to the people involved as well as the animal.
Additionally, always utilize the vehicle’s door locks and safety belts and keep the vehicle in proper working condition, including maintaining brakes, shocks, and tire alignment, inflation and tread. The best way to avoid an accident is to be aware, alert and provide your undivided attention to the important task of getting yourself and loved ones from one place to another safely.
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