DISTRACTED DRIVING
Photo reprinted from www.popsci.com
There are so many things that exist to distract us while driving: talking on our cell phones, adjusting the radio or an iPod, eating, attending to children in the back seat, observing an accident on the side of the road, or fixing hair and makeup. With the increasing demands of our busy lives and the inventions of modern technology, more driving distractions are causing more accidents.
According to the Nevada Department of Transportation, in 2006, the latest year for Nevada highway statistics, inattentive driving was a factor in 7,404 crashes which resulted in 83 fatalities and 2,748 injuries. This was the third highest factor behind failure to yield and failure to reduce speed. Inattentive driving was the number one factor for fatal crashes (23%) and the third highest contributor for injury crashes and property damage only crashes. Overall, inattentive driving was a factor in about 12% of crashes in Nevada.
Although Nevada law does not define or prohibit “distracted driving” with that term, all drivers are required to use “due care.” Those who are distracted will usually be cited for not using due care.
Below are some driving behaviors to follow and avoid in order to prevent distracted driving accidents:
─Keep your radio volume low so you can hear people in the backseat, other drivers, trains, police or emergency vehicles. Passengers and other drivers may see something you don’t notice right away. Make sure you can still easily communicate with others around you.
─Keep your eyes on the road. If you must change your CD, adjust your iPod, or fix your make-up, wait for a red light. If you need to immediately attend to children in the backseat while driving, safely pull off to the side of the road when possible. Do not “rubberneck.”
─Keep objects out of your hands and keep both hands on the steering wheel, with the exception of shifting. In an emergency situation you may not have time to appropriately react with both hands if one or both hands are full. And NEVER attempt to steer with your knees!
─ Do not text message and if you must talk on your cell phone, use a hands-free device. However, keep in mind that some studies have shown that driving while talking on a cell phone with a hands-free device is almost just as dangerous as without using a hands-free device.
Although these tips may seem like common sense, they are good reminders. I think every once in a while each one of us could use a reminder to pay more attention to our driving, even with all the disruptions of life. Even though many of us have been driving for years and think we can do so “in our sleep,” we need to remember that it calls for our constant vigilance to keep ourselves and others safe.
