Distracted Driving: Why We Do It & How To Stop
We all know we shouldn’t give into distractions when driving, so why is it so tempting to reach for the phone the moment you hear that little ding? Just a quick glance can’t hurt, right? Wrong.
Data from a 2020 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study shows that 1.6 million crashes, more than 3,100 deaths, and 400,000 injuries were caused by some form of distractions when driving in the year 2019 alone. In addition, more than one in four of all accidents—including 87 percent of rear-end collisions—are the result of some form of distracted driving.
What feels like a quick check of your phone, flip of the radio dial, or reset of the GPS can easily result in injury or tragedy.
Distracted driving facts
After years of PSAs about the dangers of being distracted when driving, it’s clear we know better than to do it—so why can’t we quit? It all stems from brain biology.
Research has shown that 92 percent of drivers recognize the dangers of texting and driving, and support making it illegal to text behind the wheel. Nonetheless, 60 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds believe they can text and drive safely. The biological phenomenon of cognitive dissonance tricks our brains into believing that we are not subject to the same risks and dangers as everyone else. Convinced we are the exception rather than the rule, we carry on with risky behaviors while recognizing the dangers posed when others do it behind the wheel.
In order to recognize the error in this logic, it’s important to understand what happens to our brain when we use a mobile phone. According to a behavioral health study recorded in the National Library of Medicine, talking on the phone, our brains direct about 37 percent of our energy away from parts of brain that deal with driving resulting in “inattention blindness.” In the most basic terms, this means that you may be looking around at your environment, but you are not fully processing everything you are seeing.
As a result of this practice, the Psychology of Learning and Motivation explains that “it’s estimated that we can miss as much as 50 percent of what is going on around us when distracted.” It’s not hard to see why this can quickly become a serious hazard when we’re navigating around pedestrians, children, pets, construction zones and other drivers—many of whom are likely distracted themselves.
How to stop giving into distractions when driving
1. Enroll your teen in a training program. Have you heard of the teenSMART® Driver Safety Program? The program teaches drivers to anticipate dangerous situations, recognize how risk changes as they drive, increase situational awareness, and expect the unexpected while behind the wheel. Studies show that teens who complete the program reduce their chances of being in a crash by up to 30 percent.
Visit www.adeptdriver.com and click on teenSMART under the
“products” heading.
2. Talk to your employees. Groups dedicated to changing the nature of distracted driving have worked hard to develop training materials that can be used to bridge these types of conversations with employees. A video produced by the National Safety Council, for instance, gives advice on how to coach your employees on properly and safely preparing to hit the road for work-related travels.
3. Take a distracted driver course. The National Safety Council offers an interactive Online Defensive Driving Course, which is designed to motivate drivers to change their risky driving behaviors, as well as their overall attitudes about distracted driving.
4. Evaluate your own behavior. Learn more about driver distractions and the risk you take by allowing yourself to multitask on the road by taking the official DMV Distracted Driving Quiz.
5. Pledge to make a change. Join the millions of Americans who are vowing to take back their focus on the roads in the official DMV-sponsored pledge.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD
KEEP YOUR MIND ON DRIVING
KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL
ONE DISTRACTION CAN STEAL YOUR REACTION
Courtesy of the Corsaro Insurance Group and Central Insurance Companies.
Matthew Corsaro is the president and owner of the Corsaro Insurance Group in Mentor. His company and staff have been providing insurance solutions to families and business owners for over 40 years. Mr. Corsaro has obtained the Accredited Advisor in Insurance and Certified Insurance Counselor designations. Corsaro Insurance Group represents over 20 insurance companies. As well they have expertise in all areas of auto, home and business insurance. They can be reached at 440-946-4950.
Data from a 2020 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study shows that 1.6 million crashes, more than 3,100 deaths, and 400,000 injuries were caused by some form of distractions when driving in the year 2019 alone. In addition, more than one in four of all accidents—including 87 percent of rear-end collisions—are the result of some form of distracted driving.
What feels like a quick check of your phone, flip of the radio dial, or reset of the GPS can easily result in injury or tragedy.
Distracted driving facts
After years of PSAs about the dangers of being distracted when driving, it’s clear we know better than to do it—so why can’t we quit? It all stems from brain biology.
Research has shown that 92 percent of drivers recognize the dangers of texting and driving, and support making it illegal to text behind the wheel. Nonetheless, 60 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds believe they can text and drive safely. The biological phenomenon of cognitive dissonance tricks our brains into believing that we are not subject to the same risks and dangers as everyone else. Convinced we are the exception rather than the rule, we carry on with risky behaviors while recognizing the dangers posed when others do it behind the wheel.
In order to recognize the error in this logic, it’s important to understand what happens to our brain when we use a mobile phone. According to a behavioral health study recorded in the National Library of Medicine, talking on the phone, our brains direct about 37 percent of our energy away from parts of brain that deal with driving resulting in “inattention blindness.” In the most basic terms, this means that you may be looking around at your environment, but you are not fully processing everything you are seeing.
As a result of this practice, the Psychology of Learning and Motivation explains that “it’s estimated that we can miss as much as 50 percent of what is going on around us when distracted.” It’s not hard to see why this can quickly become a serious hazard when we’re navigating around pedestrians, children, pets, construction zones and other drivers—many of whom are likely distracted themselves.
How to stop giving into distractions when driving
1. Enroll your teen in a training program. Have you heard of the teenSMART® Driver Safety Program? The program teaches drivers to anticipate dangerous situations, recognize how risk changes as they drive, increase situational awareness, and expect the unexpected while behind the wheel. Studies show that teens who complete the program reduce their chances of being in a crash by up to 30 percent.
Visit www.adeptdriver.com and click on teenSMART under the
“products” heading.
2. Talk to your employees. Groups dedicated to changing the nature of distracted driving have worked hard to develop training materials that can be used to bridge these types of conversations with employees. A video produced by the National Safety Council, for instance, gives advice on how to coach your employees on properly and safely preparing to hit the road for work-related travels.
3. Take a distracted driver course. The National Safety Council offers an interactive Online Defensive Driving Course, which is designed to motivate drivers to change their risky driving behaviors, as well as their overall attitudes about distracted driving.
4. Evaluate your own behavior. Learn more about driver distractions and the risk you take by allowing yourself to multitask on the road by taking the official DMV Distracted Driving Quiz.
5. Pledge to make a change. Join the millions of Americans who are vowing to take back their focus on the roads in the official DMV-sponsored pledge.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD
KEEP YOUR MIND ON DRIVING
KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL
ONE DISTRACTION CAN STEAL YOUR REACTION
Courtesy of the Corsaro Insurance Group and Central Insurance Companies.
Matthew Corsaro is the president and owner of the Corsaro Insurance Group in Mentor. His company and staff have been providing insurance solutions to families and business owners for over 40 years. Mr. Corsaro has obtained the Accredited Advisor in Insurance and Certified Insurance Counselor designations. Corsaro Insurance Group represents over 20 insurance companies. As well they have expertise in all areas of auto, home and business insurance. They can be reached at 440-946-4950.