safermaryland.org Distracted driving is a factor in 1 out of 4 crashes nationally.* What is distracted driving? Distracted driving is the presence of anything that can distract a driver’s physical and mental attention away from driving. According to a research study published in 2006 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. The study also identified inattention as the main contributing factor of 93 percent of all rear-end crashes. Distracted driving continues to be a significant and growing problem within the state of Maryland and throughout the nation. Each year, on average, nearly 70 people in Maryland die and 20,000 people are injured in crashes related to distracted or inattentive driving. More striking is the fact that 38 percent of all traffic injuries in Maryland involve a distracted driver. (Maryland State Highway Administration) Distractions can be classified as three different types: physical, cognitive and mental. The list of contributing factors of a distracted driving related crash is endless. What are some of the contributing factors? • Attending to a child • Distracted by a passenger • Reading the newspaper • Eating or drinking • Checking voicemail • Using a GPS device • Creating or reading text messages • Using a cell phone • Applying lip stick • Using a shaver • Changing the radio station • Using an MP3 player
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:34:51 +0000
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