Bid-Lose O. Francisque, MPH, RD, LDN
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) distracted driving is any activity that takes away your attention from driving, including talking or texting on the phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in the vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system, and personal care or grooming including applying make-up, doing hair. In sum, anything that takes the attention away from the task of safe driving. If it takes the eyes and mind off the road and hands off the steering wheel it’s distracted driving.
There are 4 types of distracted driving: 1) visual, 2) auditory, 3) manual, and 4) cognitive ((MDOT, 2021 - see image).
Visual is looking at something other than the road
Auditory is hearing or listening to something not related to driving
Manual is manipulating something other than the steering wheel
Cognitive is thinking about something other than driving
In 2019, 3,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. The holiday season, November 1 through December 31 are reported as the most dangerous days of the year on the nation’s roadways. There are ways to eliminate the danger of distracted driving. Some companies like Apple include a feature in the iPhones that automatically puts the phone on do not disturb mode while driving. In addition, there is a mobile application called DriveSafe.ly™ that reads text (SMS) messages and emails aloud in real time and automatically responds without drivers touching the mobile phone. Another option is to put the phone in the glove compartment or the trunk until the driver is in a safe space to use the phone.
The leading cause of distracted driving is texting and phone. Every crash resulting from these actions are preventable. Remember, if you need to send a text pull over, do not scroll through apps including social media when you are driving. Do not record videos while driving. Nothing on the phone is worth losing your life over and don’t destroy a life by distracted driving. Designate a driver if you plan to drink alcohol while you are out. Together, we can make this holiday season safer for our loved ones on the roadways and put an end to this 100 percent preventable crime.
Healthy regards,
Bid
Source
Maryland Department of Transportation. (2021). Retrieved from https://zerodeathsmd.gov/
United States Department of Transportation (2021). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Retrieved from https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
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