Simply having a phone conversation can quadruple the risk of a crash. Texting increases the risk by up to a factor of eight. Despite the common advice to always keep both eyes on the road, the latest AAA research suggests that might not be enough to stay safe.
As traffic begins to pick up across the country with increased vaccinations and decreased pandemic restrictions, AAA Northeast reminds drivers about the importance of focusing on the road ahead and not on their smartphones during National Distracted Driving Awareness month.
Twenty-three people in Massachusetts died in distracted driving crashes in 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Nationally, distracted driving crashes killed 3,142 people, an average of 9 deaths per day. That number was up 10 percent from the year before (2,839 deaths in 2018).
Distracted driving remains a growing traffic safety problem, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s 2019 Traffic Safety Culture Index. The survey found most drivers–96 percent–believe typing or reading on a hand-held cellphone while driving to be very or extremely dangerous. Despite that, 39 percent admit to reading, and 29 percent admit to typing on a smartphone at least once while behind the wheel within the last month.
In Massachusetts, using a hand-held device is illegal while driving–including while stopped at a red light or stop sign. But this survey suggests drivers often hold and handle their phones while stopped on the roadway, and aren’t aware of the “hangover effect” which comes from interacting with technology while behind the wheel. AAA researchers find drivers can stay distracted and disoriented for up to 27 seconds after using smartphones or voice-to-text vehicle infotainment systems to send text messages, make phone calls or update social media. At 25 mph, a driver could travel the length of nearly three football fields in that 27 second span.
“Even if drivers perform some of these tasks illegally while stopped at a red light or stop sign, once you start moving, and even after you stop using the technology, your mind is still not fully focused on the task of driving for up to 27 seconds,” said Mary Maguire, Director, Public and Government Affairs at AAA Northeast. “This is a dangerous situation that could lead to inattention blindness, where you’re looking at the road but not seeing what’s in front of you, putting other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians at risk.”
AAA encourages all motorists to eliminate distracted driving by following these tips:
- Put it away. Place your mobile device out of sight to prevent temptation.
- Know where you’re going. If using a navigation system, program the destination before driving.
- Pull over. If you must call or text while on the road, pull off the road safely and stop first.
- Ask passengers for help. If riding with someone, seek their help to navigate, make a call or send a message.
- Be a good passenger. Speak out if the driver of your vehicle is distracted.
- Don’t be a distraction. Avoid calling or texting others when you know they are driving.
- Activate Do Not Disturb. Setting up this feature on iPhone or Android device will prevent calls from coming in while you’re driving.
- Everyone should prevent being intexticated. Just as drivers need to pay attention, so do pedestrians and bicyclists. Never call, text or play games while walking or cycling.
This is the fourth year of AAA’s distracted driving prevention initiative titled “Don’t Drive Intoxicated. Don’t Drive Intexticated.” The goal of the multi-media initiative is to remind drivers that the consequences of both alcohol-impaired driving and smartphone use behind the wheel could be the same – crashes that result in deaths and injuries. In addition to the survey, AAA is releasing a new television public service announcement (PSA) which targets drivers who text while they are alone in their vehicle.
For more information visit aaa.com/dontdrivedistracted.
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