Why We Care- Distracted Driving

DISTRACTED DRIVING

Distracted driving joins alcohol and speeding as a leading cause of injury and fatal collisions in the United States. It involves any activity that diverts a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. Cell phone use is among the most dangerous because the behavior involves taking a driver’s hands off the wheel (manual distraction), eyes off the road (visual distraction), and mind off of driving (cognitive distraction).

WHY WE CARE

Distracted driving joins alcohol and speeding as a leading cause of injury and fatality collisions in the United States.
In 2018, there were 2,841 distracted driving-affected deaths and an estimated 400,000 distracted-affected injuries nationwide.
Cell phone use while driving increases crash risk up to four times when talking and at least eight times when texting.
In a driving simulator study, drivers using cell phones had a longer reaction time than drivers impaired by alcohol at a .08 blood alcohol concentration, the legal intoxication limit.
At any given daylight moment in America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving.
It is estimated that every 30 seconds there is a crash involving drivers using cell phones in the U.S.
The average text takes 4.7 seconds. At 45 mph, this is the equivalent of driving blind the entire length of a football field.
Drivers using cell phones look at, but fail to see, up to 50% of the information in their driving environment.
Research has shown that the human brain is not able to perform two “thinking tasks” at the same time. The brain actually switches quickly between two cognitive activities, making cell phone use while driving particularly dangerous.
In 2017, the number of cell phone subscriptions exceeded the US population – 396 million subscriptions compared to 329 million people.
In a study published in Health Psychology Journal, 58% of people surveyed would “feel lost” if they didn’t have their cell phone.

Phone:

(858) 534-8386

treds.ucsd.edu/contact

Location

UC San Diego Family Medicine and Public Health 9500 Gilman Drive #8011 La Jolla, CA 92093-0811