For Paige Aigret, the morning of November 8, 2010, began like many others, until she lost control of her pickup truck while travelling westbound on I-10 near Milton, Florida. Her truck fishtailed and overturned several times before coming to rest in a ditch. While Ms. Aigret's accident was unavoidable (she reported feeling as if the truck had a rear flat tire) the five ensuing motor vehicle accidents were textbook examples of distracted driving. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that drivers failed to recognize cars in front of them had slowed to observe the overturned truck.
Distracted driving has become a major issue for legislators and law enforcement alike. The National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA) reports that 20 percent of all crashes involve some type of distraction. A 2006 study found that 80 percent of crashes involve some type of driver inattention within 3 seconds of the accident, and a NHTSA report found that in 2008, 6,000 people died and 500,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.
Curbing Distracted Driving
The U.S. Department of Transportation offers four helpful tips to help drivers stay focused on the road:
- Focus on driving-related tasks and avoid distractions. Billboards, cell phones and accidents can help you stay aware of vehicles and potential hazards around you.
- Avoid smoking while driving. It often takes a driver's hands off the steering wheel for extended amounts of time. A driver who drops a cigarette would be completely distracted in trying to avoid further injury or damage to the vehicle.
- Do not use cell phones while driving. Drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers who do not. Nineteen states have passed laws banning cell phone use in the last year.
- Try not to eat or drink while behind the wheel. Eating or drinking while driving creates visual and cognitive distractions that reduce the driver's ability to react to hazards. An NHTSA study found that eating and driving is more dangerous than using a cell phone.
By following these recommendations, drivers may minimize the chances of being in an accident due to a distraction and can avoid chain reaction accidents.
