What is distracted driving?

[TeamCaffee]

This is a very SCARY website and this is their definition of distracted driving.


Distracted driving can be visual, manual or cognitive. Basically, distracted driving is any activity a person engages in while driving a vehicle that has the potential to distract that person from the task of driving. Any distraction increases the risk of an accident and any accident endangers the driver’s and any passengers in the vehicle’s safety. In 2009, a reported 5,474 people were killed on U.S. roadways and an estimated 448,000 were injured in crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving (according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.) These numbers are significant, but may not tell the true story, as far as statistics, because it’s difficult to determine the role of distracted driving in many accidents. The National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey (NMVCCS) is a national survey specifically focused toward documenting events and conditions leading up to crashes. They report that driver distraction was coded as the critical reason in 18 percent of crashes. It‘s essential that you focus on the task at hand when driving a motor vehicle. This can‘t be emphasized enough.

Distracted driving activities include:
Talking on a cell phone
Texting
Eating and drinking
Talking to passengers
Grooming
Reading, (this includes maps)
Using a PDA or navigation system
Watching a video
Changing the radio station, CD, etc.
Daydreaming

In recent years, texting has become one of the biggest distracted driving activities. Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Distracted Driving.org What is Distracted Driving Driver Education Defensive Driving Distracted Driving Prevention

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Don't forget thinking! Thinking distracts you from the road as well.

Not to mention all those signs they post. I find myself looking at them as much as the road itself, cause there are so many.

Ladies! Ladies in the car next to me distract me. How dare they wear those high-riding skirts! Fer shame!

The government! That distracts me most of all! Of course, that would come back to thinking.

Sunsets! That is so distracting! A beautiful pink and orange skyline! God should be ashamed of himself distracting me like that! Would that fall under daydreaming? I dunno... maybe duskdreaming.

 

[DannyD]

A pretty good list all in all. I'd give some leeway on eating/drinking (meaning a soda, not beer), talking to passengers & changing the radio station. I'm not saying that eating or talking to passengers can't distract someone. I'm saying I wouldn't be writing anyone a ticket over it.

Daydreaming is gonna happen. That's a human trait as far as I know.

As for things like texting, I'd like to see a $500 fine for the first offense, $1,000 for the second & so on. I think overall texting/talking on the phone is a bigger problem now than drunk driving.

I'd have to think the technology to disable cell phones while a vehicle is moving is out there. That might be another way to help. Yea the passenger might not be able to talk either. Maybe a real short tether that connects to the passenger door might work. I dunno.

One drunk driver is worse than one person talking on their phone. But since so many more yap than drive drunk I feel it's an overall bigger problem.

Distracted driving activities include:
Talking on a cell phone
Texting
Eating and drinking
Talking to passengers
Grooming
Reading, (this includes maps)
Using a PDA or navigation system
Watching a video
Changing the radio station, CD, etc.
Daydreaming

 

[Rocketman]

Which of those would you not consider to be a distraction? I do many of the things on that list. I make phone calls, poke around on my GPS, eat (not very often while moving), drink water, etc while driving. I always try to do those things when no other vehicles are around me and never in construction zone. The fact that I (and I think most drivers) try to choose "safe" times to these things is an admission that these truly are distractions.

Calling a distraction a distraction isn't a problem for me. Trying to micro manage an entire industry is the problem I have with all of these regs. Its to the point that if your in a truck, your in violation.

 

[ATeam]

How is the web site scary? Is there something wrong with the list?

How many times have truckers complained about drivers who are not paying attention because they are reading, putting on makeup, talking on the phone, etc.? Notice that the photos on the site feature four-wheelers, not truckers. A refreshing change, I think.

The more people (cars and trucks) pay attention to their driving the better, right?

 

[Ragman]

Don't forget thinking! Thinking distracts you from the road as well.

Not to mention all those signs they post. I find myself looking at them as much as the road itself, cause there are so many.

Ladies! Ladies in the car next to me distract me. How dare they wear those high-riding skirts! Fer shame!

The government! That distracts me most of all! Of course, that would come back to thinking.

Sunsets! That is so distracting! A beautiful pink and orange skyline! God should be ashamed of himself distracting me like that! Would that fall under daydreaming? I dunno... maybe duskdreaming.

Don't forget your inflatable doll.
That would be distracting.

 

[cannedmeat27]

Reading eo while driving

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Don't forget your inflatable doll.
That would be distracting.

I asked you not to bring that up. Now I'm gonna hafta hide him in the tire chain box again.

 

[usafk9]

Him?



Really?

 

[Matt6781]

First post here, and had to chime in on this on. Found this sight after seeing a strange FedEx straight truck with a sleeper around the 4th of July delivering to the Sears/Willis Tower. Turned out thru google I found "ATeam" then this site. The whole story would take a pot of coffee.

@TeamCaffee- I agree
@TennesseeHawk- Yep...Skirts are distracting
@Ateam- Your right too!
@Rocketman- Sure seems like they want to micro-manage every facet of our lives.

Lets define "Distracted Driving". Hmmm, could be anything. In my opinion, its like Pornography cant give a definition, but I know it when I see it.

IMO- This is an addition tool to Law Enforcement giving us Probable Cause to make a traffic stop and crawl into the life of a driver. As long as its reasonable and articulable(sp).

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Him?



Really?

Ah... someone paying attention, I see.

 

[Jenny]

Children shouldn't be allowed in cars, they are a distractions

 

[Dreamer]

Children shouldn't be allowed in cars, they are a distractions

So true lol.

Theyre trying to over complicate it. If people used handsfree, and had their important numbers on speed dial, it would be fine IMO. My CB is not a distraction, I can talk on that mike without ever looking.

Now, what I love is the guys who go by with the in dash DVD players playing a movie.... laptops open on the dash or jotto desk playin movie, even better....



Dale


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[OntarioVanMan]

Does having a bowl of Salsa and chips on my lap whilst reading the GPS,and talking on my cell via headset and trying to find an English channel on the Radio going thru Chicago count as distracted? But I do hang up the phone when going thru work sites..wouldn't want to break a law....lol

 

[ATeam]

Children shouldn't be allowed in cars, they are a distractions

Cars should not be allowed on the road when trucks are near. They are distractions too. So are police cars, come to think of it.

 

[layoutshooter]

I like the one where they tell you NOT to fool with the button on your radio, it is distracting. THEN they put up really cool signs that info you to TUNE YOUR RADIO to 530AM, or some other freq, for an important traffic alert. SO, you "distract" your self, tune the radio to the freq, AND, find nothing but static.

I guess tuning a radio is NOT distracting if they tell you to do it?

 

[MissKat]

Four wheeler inhabitants displaying private parts to truck drivers before they realize the sex of the driver...usually on 476 or 81. Pretty Durn distracting. At first I thought the man had a boa constrictor wrapped around his seat...about wrecked

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[arrbsthw]

I have seen several of these Miss Kat although not that big!

I think distracted driving should apply to all vehicles not just trucks. Most of the distracted driving I see is from the cars beside and in front of me on the highway. If you ever get behind someone going really slow.. they are on the phone.

 

[greg334]

Linda, when it comes to these stats, they seem to be an aggregate of all of the accident reports with some being assumptions, not facts. This is illustrated with the justification of the sleep apnea requirements we go through, the studies done on accidents don't include valid truck related accident data and when it is used and broken out, it is not correct data in context to the accident.

 

[LisaLouHoo]

I didn't see anything about ironing and folding laundry. That's good, I like to multitask, this will make efficient use of my time.

"Bruises fade and bones will mend-but a psyche can be ruined FOREVER" : LisaLouHoo, c. 2008