You’ve got a half-caf latte in one hand and mascara in the other. You lean into your rear view mirror to apply that last lustrous lash stroke and change lanes with your knees. You’re the picture of the modern woman on the go. Swap the coffee for a burger and the mascara for an electric razor and you’re the modern man. You’re also about to kill someone.
We’ve all done it. Distracted driving has become so commonplace we don’t think anything of it anymore. If you aren’t multi-tasking as you drive along, you’re wasting precious hours where you could be working, eating or socializing. But distracted driving is really and truly dangerous.
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) nearly 6,000 people were killed in 2008 as the result of distracted driving. And over half a million were seriously injured. All to save a little time. We’ve seriously lost the plot.
Distracted driving comes in many forms, but each ends with the same result - the person behind the wheel (behind 2 tons of metal going 60 miles an hour) isn’t paying attention and bad things happen.
The wandering eye
Visual distractions occur when you take your eyes off the road.
- Changing the radio station, CD or climate controls. Adjust your music or air con when you’re at a full stop like a stoplight.
- Checking yourself out (you know you do it). You look fine. You can fix your make-up or hair when you get where you’re going.
- Reading. Save the newspapers, work papers, maps or texts for non-lethal situations.
Hands on the wheel
Manual distractions occur when you take your hands off the wheel.
- Grooming. Give yourself an extra five minutes and leave the makeup bag, hairbrush and electric razor at home.
- Making a cell call. According to a study by Carnegie Mellon University, using a cell phone diminishes the amount of brain activity focused on driving by 37 percent. If you absolutely must use a cell, hands free sets are inexpensive. Fork over a few bucks and get one.
- Texting. Don’t do it. Texting is a triple threat - your eyes, hands and brain are all preoccupied. sv it fr ltr.
- Eating and drinking. You can probably scarf down that burger and fries in less than five minutes. Pull over and nosh.
Pay attention!
Cognitive distractions occur when your mind isn’t on what you’re doing.
- Yelling at the kids in the back seat. Pull over if you have to give your kids the what’s what.
- Talking on the phone. Keep the convos short.
- Worrying about that big meeting. Try to keep your mind on the task at hand. It will make you a safer driver and keep your ulcer from perforating.
- Spacing out. We’ve all arrived at our destination and not remembered driving there. How scary is that? If you feel yourself drifting, give yourself a Cher slap and “Snap out of it!”
- Fatigue. If you’re traveling at highway speed, nod off for just 2 and half seconds and your car just traveled over the length of a football field with no one steering it. Pull over and take a nap. Fatigue causes over 100,000 accidents a year.
Distracted driving is a serious and growing problem. But it’s one completely within our power to stop. Remember, it’s not just your life on the line when you get behind the wheel.