Of the more than 65,000 people killed in car crashes in 2010 and 2011, one in 10 involved instances where at least one of the drivers was distracted, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a nationwide census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Distracted driving is any activity that takes a driver's eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or mind off the primary task of driving safely.
Below are the top 10 distractions involved in fatal car crashes:
- Generally distracted or "lost in thought"
- Cell phone use
- Outside person, object or event
- Other occupants in the car
- Using or reaching for a device that was brought into the vehicle
- Eating or drinking
- Adjusting audio or climate controls
- Using other devices/controls integral to the vehicle
- A moving object in the vehicle, such as a pet or insect
- Smoking-related
Distracted driving is dangerous and all too common, as it is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle crashes in the United States. Dedicating ourselves to and reinforcing safe driving practices will make them second nature and save lives in the process.
