Distracted driving: double the danger, twice the risk
We have written in the past about how taking your eyes off of the road for even two seconds can more than double your risk for injury in San Francisco. Saying that distracted driving is a negligent behavior seems like a fairly redundant statement; so why are we all still talking about the problem?
The problem of using a cellphone while driving seems to carry an even greater risk as a cause for car accidents because despite the obvious danger, a large percentage of the population continues to knowingly participate in the negligent behavior. In fact, while 94 percent of drivers consider distracted driving a "serious threat," 70 percent said that they used their cellphones in the car and over 33 percent said that they sent a text message while driving.
Since the spark was ignited in 2009, the push to ban texting while driving or all handheld cellphone use entirely has more than caught fire. Since that time, hands-free devices have made their way to the forefront as standard options in vehicles or electronic store sales items. The push against distracted driving has gone as far as a call for even the possible ban on these hands-free options as well. The request was made this past December by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The request for an all-out ban on any cellphone use whether hands-free or handheld has in the least created controversy among advocates for reducing distracted driving accidents and drivers in general. Some are behind the effort and others are in stark opposition to a complete ban.
Source: USA Today, "Disconnects in the distracted-driving blame game," Jayne O'Donnell, April 30, 2012
