Distracted Driving: The Hard Truth and How to Make a Meaningful Difference

time2018/06/19

Distracted Driving: The Hard Truth and How to Make a Meaningful Difference

In today’s whirlwind society, it's become second nature to multi-task our way through life. We have demanding jobs, busy lifestyles and households to maintain. It never stops.

So it comes as no surprise that distractions pour into every facet of our lives — including while we drive, with more and more people finding themselves in hospitals every year as a result of distracted driving.

A recent study released by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that engaging in subtasks while driving triples the risk of crashing. But in a world of distractions, how do we refocus our attention to the road?Distracted Driving

As the old saying goes, “in order to solve a problem, you must first define it.”

So, what is distracted driving? Is it texting or talking on the phone? Is it playing loud music or arguing with the kids in the backseat?

Everyone’s definition of distracted driving is different – and therein lays our problem.

As defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is any non-driving activity we engage in while operating a vehicle that increases our risk of crashing.

The NHTSA breaks down distractions into three distinguishable types:

Visual – taking our eyes off the road

Manual – taking our hands off the wheel

Cognitive - taking our mind off what we're doing

Any activity that falls into one of these categories is considered distracted driving. So if you're ready to make a meaningful difference and put an end to this deadly behavior, embrace our strategy below.

Make a Meaningful Difference

In order to increase safety and decrease distracted driving, a grassroots effort needs to happen at the local and state level. It all starts with concerned community members pooling their efforts together.

Education

It's been well documented that young drivers (ages 16-20) are more likely than any other age group to end up in fatal crashes as a result of distracted driving. Most haven't experienced a car accident and believe they're "good" at texting while driving.

Discussing the dangers and legal consequences of driving distracted with young drivers through education in schools and drivers education classes should be front-and-center. Distraction.gov is a great resource for educators to gather statistics, videos and other compelling materials.

Legislation

Do you know what distracted driving laws are enforced in your home state? Each state has it's own unique legislation when it comes to anti-texting and no hand-held phone laws. Check out this interactive document to find out exactly what is or isn't against the law in your state.

If you aren't happy with your current legislation or the overall awareness of it, here are a few actions to take:

Contact your state representative's office and ask questions about the plans they have to decrease distracted driving.

Create a Facebook page and start a dialogue about distracted driving laws and potential solutions in your area.

Write an editorial in your local newspaper about the issue to raise awareness.

Law Enforcement

Have you ever not worn a seat belt only to see a police officer in your rear view mirror? How fast did you 'click it' before you got that 'ticket'?

Research shows that highly visible law enforcement is extremely effective when rolling out a new law or enforcing an existing one. Why? Well oddly enough, the fear of receiving a ticket and potentially losing money outweighs the fear of bodily harm or death.

Because of this, some local police departments are testing the use of a textalyzer - which helps officers determine if someone was texting while driving.