Text messaging, talking on a cell phone, styling hair, watching a movie, writing a grocery list, nursing a baby or putting in contact lenses: Secondary activities have become an everyday occurrence behind the wheel of American motorists. A growing shift in focus from the roadway to a multitude of other tasks impairs the ability of modern drivers, and the U.S. traffic statistics mark this drastic change. Facts about Distracted Driving:
Distracted driving is the number one killer of American teens. Alcohol-related accidents among teens have dropped. But teenage traffic fatalities have remained unchanged, because distracted driving is on the rise. (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Study and NHTSA Study)
While over 90% of teen drivers say they don't drink and drive, nine out of 10 say they've seen passengers distracting the driver, or drivers using cell phones. (National Teen Driver Survey)
Brain power used while driving decreases by 40% when a driver listens to conversation or music. (Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University Study)
More than 80% of drivers admit to blatantly hazardous behavior: changing clothes, steering with a foot, painting nails and shaving. (Nationwide Mutual Insurance Survey)
Drivers on mobile phones are more impaired than drivers at .08 BAC. (University of Utah Study)
An estimated million people each day chat on their mobile or send text messages while driving. (The Herald)