CAR SAFETY & INSURANCE – SURPRISING CAUSES OF DISTRACTED DRIVING

8 Surprising Causes Of Distracted Driving

Last year, crashes involving distracted driving claimed over 3,500 lives. You’ve likely heard it’s dangerous to text while behind the wheel, but here are eight other examples of potentially dangerous distractions while driving.

Driving While Angry Or Sad

Feeling distressed or mad? Take some time to cool down before you jump into a car. A recent large-scale study of 1600 crash events over a 3-year period showed that drivers who are observably angry, sad, or agitated increase their risk of getting into an accident by nearly tenfold.

Your Favorite Song

Research shows that the type of music you listen to—as well as the volume you play it at—can affect your driving. In an Israeli study of 85 teens, novice drivers who loudly blasted their favorite tunes were prone to far more errors and miscalculations. Teens that listened to softer songs they hadn’t selected (easy listening, soft rock, light jazz, etc.) showed a 20 percent decrease in deficient driving behaviors. That isn’t to say you can’t rock out while you’re driving—just keep the volume down and your eyes on the road.

Your Dog

In one recent survey, 84 percent of respondents said they had driven with their pets. However, only 16 percent said they used a form of pet restraint while traveling in a car with their dogs. In contrast, 17 percent said they allowed Fido to sit in their laps while behind the wheel, and 13 percent admitted to feeding him, or giving him treats. To avoid cuddly distractions (and keep your pet safe if you crash), make sure to put it in a backseat-friendly kennel or seat before you hit the highway.

Kids

Researchers find kid passengers in cars to be four times more distracting than adults, and infants to be eight times more distracting. However, one Australian researcher drove this point home when they found that the average parent actually takes their eyes off the road for 3 minutes and 22 seconds during a 16-minute trip.

Hands-free Technology

One study shows that talking via speakerphone, or sending a text or email with voice commands, isn’t less distracting than manually using your smart phone. Once you’re finished making voice commands, you’ll remain distracted for up to 27 seconds as you readjust to road mode. As a result, you might not notice signs, pedestrians, or even other vehicles.

Holding A Full Bladder

Taking a road trip? Make plenty of rest stops. In 2011, one hospital study concluded that having to go to the bathroom badly while driving impairs your judgment and focus on the same level as a 0.05 blood-alcohol content.

Reaching For Things In The Backseat

Make sure you’ve got everything you need with you right by you in the passenger seat. According to one recent study, grasping behind you for a water bottle, or bag, or other travel necessity makes you nine times more likely to have a car accident.

Eating While Driving

One recent poll revealed that 70 percent of 1000 surveyed drivers admitted to eating or drinking beverages while driving. Between potential spills, burns, and a slippery driver’s wheel, is it any wonder a separate study showed that those who eat and drive increase their odds of an accident by 80 percent?

If you have been injured in an accident, call us at (229) 299-8200. 

AMMUNTION for the INJURED has the experience to help you with your case.

7 Bad Driving Habits That May Also Be Illegal

Let’s face it: Driver’s Ed was a while ago. Over the years, our perfect double-handed grip on the steering wheel may have slipped a little; perhaps other bad habits have crept in as well.

And whether we realize it or not, some of those habits may be illegal.

It’s true that traffic laws can be confusing. They can vary by state, and even by municipality. A violation in one place—say, turning right on red in New York City—can be perfectly legal just over the city border.

The evolution of our traffic laws can also be a source of confusion. As the use of mobile phones has spread, for example, safety experts have recognized their role in distracting drivers—and states are adopting laws to combat the problem. Those laws are still developing. While most states have outlawed texting while driving, some have made it illegal to use a phone at all while driving, although others have barred it only for younger drivers.

Still, when it comes to driving, the patchwork quilt of traffic laws should take a back seat to safety. Here are seven habits to change today:

1. Using Your Mobile Phone While Driving

It may be difficult to ignore the ping of an incoming text message, but it’s essential to keep your eyes on the road. With distracted driving becoming an increasingly important issue, expect more states to crack down on any use of a mobile phone. In fact, Washington State just did so in an innovative way with its new DUIE (Driving Under the Influence of Electronics) regulation. Regardless of where you are put that phone in airplane mode before you hit the gas.

2. Driving With Headphones On

Listening to music on your car radio can be distracting enough. But with headphones at your ears, you may be shutting out important noises—like car horns, railroad-crossing alarms or emergency vehicle sirens—as well as breaking the law in some states.

3. Tailgating

Following a car too closely can happen when a driver isn’t paying close enough attention to the surrounding traffic. It can also result in a ticket. The space you should leave depends on your speed and the local conditions (e.g., traffic jam or rain storm); try to keep what’s generally referred to as a “reasonable and prudent” distance from other cars.

4. Changing Lanes Without Signaling

In heavy traffic, using your blinker to signal a lane change is a necessity; without it, other drivers won’t know your intention. When traffic is light, though, it’s easier to be lazy about turning it on. You may or may not be pulled over for this infraction, but good habits begin with good communication, regardless of conditions or laws.

5. Speeding

You’re running late and traffic is light—you could shave a couple of minutes off your travel time if you speed up, right? Not so fast. High speeds make a crash more likely, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, since it takes longer to stop or slow down. Statistics prove the point: In 2015, says the IIHS, 27 percent of all crash fatalities—more than 9,000 deaths—were related to speed. That appointment you’re late for can wait. Abide by the speed limit.

6. Not Having Your Headlights On

Obviously you need headlights for nighttime driving, but you may not always think to pop them on at dusk or in bad weather. Just remember to over-communicate while driving—and in this case, headlights advertise your presence as well as help you navigate. Laws vary on when to use headlights, but if there’s any question, don’t hesitate: It’s as easy as flipping a switch.

7. Not Wearing A Seatbelt

While clicking a seatbelt is pretty standard practice for most drivers—more than 90 percent of us use one, according to NHTSA—at least 27 million Americans still don’t buckle up. Yet seatbelts saved almost 14,000 lives in 2015 alone. And of course, “click it or ticket” is a familiar phrase for a reason. So don’t neglect the seatbelt—it’s important, even if you’re just driving around the corner.

If you have been injured in an accident, call us at (229) 299-8200. 

AMMUNTION for the INJURED has the experience to help you with your case.