Distracted Driving is Deadly
When you’re driving distracted, your vehicle becomes a high speed weapon capable of inflicting harm on yourself and other motorists on the road. In theory, it sounds quite simple to assume that you’re completely focused on driving, but there are a multitude of factors that can quickly and easily shift your attention away from the road, causing a great deal of preventable harm.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines distracted driving as “any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone” and anything else “that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.”
The Hard Facts:
- In 2015 alone, there were around 3,500 people who lost their lives due to distracted driving, and around 400,000 people injured due to someone driving while distracted.
- Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds, and at 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
- “Multitasking” is actually a myth; the human brain cannot do two tasks at one time, and that includes using your smartphone while driving.
- Distracted driving accounts for approximately 25% of all motor vehicle crash fatalities.
- There are three main types of distractions while driving: manual (taking your hands off the wheel), visual (taking your eyes off the road), and cognitive (taking your mind off driving).
There are a million and one things that can distract us while driving and it is up to us to recognize and minimize these distractions before we hit the road. Here are several helpful tips for avoiding and preventing distracted driving altogether.
The bottom line is that NTB Trucking cares about the safety of motorists, truck drivers, and anyone else who uses public roadways. To learn more about NTB Trucking, what our company stands for, and how we do business, check out our website for more information.