Common Fatal Driving Distractions

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that driving distractions are the leading cause of traffic accidents in the country. This is proven by a recent study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) showing that 80 percent of crashes in 2009 were caused by distracted driving.

The study also revealed that distraction occurred within three seconds before the crash, a proof that a second of losing focus on the wheel is enough to result to accidents.

Common Driving Distractions

These are the top five common distractions resulting to crashes, according to safety experts:

1. Cell phone use
   Cell phones and mobile communication devices are the leading cause of distraction-related crashes. This is explained by a recent study showing that texting drivers are 20 times more likely to crash compared to people who are not using any communication device behind the wheel.
   There is also a study which shows that in any time of the day, more than 10 percent of drivers are using hand-held or hands-free phones, a rate significantly higher compared to previous years.
   Because of this growing safety issue, many states and cities have banned drivers from operating communication devices used in sending, texting, and reading messages.
   Last year, the federal government has proposed a law that will cut the highway funds of states that will not adopt a ban on the use of cell phones.


2. Reaching for an object while inside the vehicle
   Safety experts believe that drivers should give 100 percent of their focus on the road since a split second of distraction is enough result to an accident. For example, a six-second distraction is enough to cover a football field if a car is traveling at a speed of at least 65 mph.


3. Looking at objects outside the vehicle
   Drivers should remember that they should focus on the road instead of other distractions such as a billboard advertisement, accident, scenic view, and obscure street signs.


4. Reading
   Many drivers think that reading newspapers while being stuck in traffic is relatively safe. However, experts ranked this as the fourth leading cause of crashes in the US.


5. Applying makeup
   While multi-tasking works for some people, this is particularly dangerous for drivers. For example, the habit of applying makeup while driving, which is common among office workers who are running late, are particularly dangerous since the concentration of people in driving is greatly reduced.