(Article courtesy of the Nova Scotia Trucking Safety Association)
Distracted Driving can be defined as doing anything while driving that may take your focus off the road. This includes but is not limited to texting, talking on a phone, eating or drinking, putting on make-up, etc.
Recent studies have shown that human brains are only capable of focusing effectively on one action at a time, though many of us believe we are very good multi-tuskers, this simply is not true.
What we are actually good at is simply switching back and forth from one action to another. When driving, this means that we are really only focused on one task at any given time, and when it is something other than driving…we really don’t maintain the control over our vehicle that we may think we do.
Here is a list of the ten most dangerous driving distractions. Unfortunately, many of us can relate to most if not all on the list.
- Talking on the phone
- Daydreaming
- Texting and Updating Social Media
- Watching road diversions
- Fiddling with entertainment & onboard electronics
- Driving while drowsy
- Keeping an eye on the kids in the vehicle
- Tending to pets in the vehicle
- Applying make-up or grooming
- Eating and drinking
Does your company have a “Distracted Driving Policy? And if so, is it enforced? Are the enforcement methods effective? Distracted Driving is a “deadly epidemic” on our roads and include:
- Visual – when you take your eyes off the road;
- Manual – when you remove your hands from the wheel; and
- Cognitive – when your mind is pre-occupied with a non-driving task (e.g. phone conversation or text message exchange).
Did you know that every year, drivers distracted by the use of mobile devices cause 636,000 crashes, 342,000 injuries and 2,600 deaths. There is an accident every 24 seconds. Every time you take your eyes off the road or talk on the phone while driving, you put yourself and others in danger.
(Statistics provided by Marsh Risk Management Services.)
