Anything extra that you do inside your vehicle that diverts you away from the primary action of driving can be considered a distraction. According to distraction.gov these activities include (but are not limited to):
- Eating and drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Grooming
- Watching a video
- Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player
While the above activities defiantly will cause you distraction while driving, the hot button topic these days involves the driver using their cell phone while operating their vehicle. Activities involving a cell phone that can distract a drive include:
- Texting
- Using a cell phone or smartphone
- Reading, including maps
- Using a navigation system
Of the actions you can perform with your phone while trying to drive, texting is by far the most dangerous. This is because the act of texting requires visual (taking your eyes off the road), manual (taking your hands off the wheel) and cognitive (taking your mind off driving) attention from the driver—away from the act of driving.
Texting While Driving Statistics
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that driver distraction caused 18 percent of all fatal crashes.
- 3,092 people killed
- 416,000 people wounded
- 40% of teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that could put passengers in danger
- Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted
- 11% of drivers 18 to 20 involved in an accident and survived admitted they were sending or receiving texts
