Avoid the Dangers of Distracted Driving

You might think talking on the phone, eating a sandwich or changing the radio station while driving is simply multitasking. But experts consider all of those activities potentially dangerous forms of distracted driving. Distracted drivers are a leading cause of crashes and near-crashes in the United States, causing nearly 3,200 fatalities and more than 430,000 injuries each year.

“Distracted driving affects all of us,” says Elizabeth Lee, M.D., a family medicine physician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. “Despite laws prohibiting cellphone use while a car is moving, we’ve all seen someone texting or talking while driving.”

Distracted Driving Defined

Distractions take many forms, but they occur anytime you take your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel or your mind off driving.

Any non-driving activity potentially increases your risk of a crash. Using your navigation system counts as distracted driving. So does brushing your hair or reaching into your purse for a piece of gum. Even conversations with other passengers can become a distraction.

But texting, checking email and dialing a cellphone are the most dangerous, Dr. Lee says, because they use all three forms of attention—visual, manual and cognitive—that you need to stay safe on the road.

You may think looking away from the road for a couple of seconds isn’t a big deal, but consider this: At 55 miles per hour, reading or writing a text message for five seconds is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded.

Hands-Free is Not OK

Even if you use a hands-free device, talking on the phone seriously distracts your brain. You might be looking, but you fail to “see” everything; in fact, studies show that drivers talking on a phone, whether handheld or hands-free, take in only 50 percent of the roadway information.

Drivers talking on cellphones also have slower reaction times, in some cases performing worse than alcohol-impaired drivers.

How to Prevent Distracted Driving

“We live in constant connection,” Dr. Lee says. “Having your technology with you is just part of the culture.” Using technology while driving is so tempting that it takes more than a simple promise to stop, she says.

Dr. Lee suggests a four-step plan to stop distracted driving:

1. Build a Culture of Safety

Tell your family, friends and colleagues that you won’t pick up while driving. Ask them to leave a message on your phone, and say you’ll get back to them as soon as you stop driving.

2. Put Your Phone Out of Reach

Make it part of your routine to put your phone in your briefcase or backpack, and put that in the back of the car. Set it to silent while you drive.

3. Believe It Can Wait

Nothing is so urgent that you can’t wait a couple of minutes to get off the road, but you have to believe it. Dr. Lee sometimes gets calls about medical emergencies while driving, and “I know to pull over,” she says.

4. Be a Role Model

You’re setting the example for your children. If they see you on the phone while driving, you can be sure they’ll do it, too.

These measures may feel strict, but “accidents that happen when you are distracted are entirely preventable,” Dr. Lee says. “And those are the accidents that are the hardest to get over—when you know you could have prevented it.”