Ontivity Resources

Each year more workers are killed in motor vehicle crashes than any other cause, and thousands of those deaths are a result of distracted driving. Distracted driving accounts for approximately 392,000 injuries and 3,500 deaths in the United States annually. In the US over 100 people die in a vehicle related crash daily with nine of those deaths being caused by an avoidable distraction. Today we will discuss three key points to aid you in your daily driving and help avoid becoming a distracted driver. Understanding the 4 types of Distracted Driving; Keeping a clear mind when driving; and Avoiding Distracted Driving so we ARRIVE ALIVE.

UNDERSTANDING THE 4 TYPES OF DISTRACTED DRIVING

Distracted driving can be broken down into 4 main categories. Those categories are visual distractions, manual distractions, auditory distractions, and cognitive distractions. Visual distractions cause the driver to take their eyes off the road. The most common culprit, you guessed it the cell phone. Whether we are looking to see who is calling, trying to reply to a text. Just know that at 55mph you could travel the length of a football field in about 5 seconds. The truth is that text can wait. Manual distractions cause a driver to take their hands off the wheel. Things like texting or adjusting your

GPS can create manual distractions when driving. Some people think that listening to music will keep them from being distracted, but this isn’t always true. Catchy music or even loud music are forms of auditory distractions. Even hands-free calls can be a distraction if they take your mind off driving. Cognitive distractions include talking on the phone, chatting with passengers, daydreaming, or reading books, texts, or maps. When a driver is operating a motor vehicle, their focus must be on roadway safety and getting to their destination safely.

KEEP A CLEAR MIND WHEN YOU DRIVE

Your eyes might still be on the road when experiencing cognitive distraction, but where is your mind? Are you deep in thought about the argument you had with a significant other last night? Did you fail to get the proper amount of sleep due to that argument and may be experiencing sleep deprivation? Having a sound mind and rested body contributes to your overall wellbeing. We have all gotten behind the wheel after a long day which may have caused you to mentally not perceive a threat as clearly as you normally might have. The daily stresses we all encounter also contribute to our mental wellbeing. Keeping your stress level low and knowing when to take a deep breath or asking a colleague to drive, just may save your life.

AVOID DISTRACTED DRIVING AND ARRIVE ALIVE

When you are behind the wheel your focus must be on arriving to your destination safely and without incident. You must avoid the temptation to multitask while driving. Whether it’s eating a sandwich, adjusting the radio station, making phone calls, reading an email, or sending a text message-avoid doing all these while driving. If you happen to be a passenger and notice the driver is not focused, speak up and help them avoid the distractions. Instead of being a distraction you should help to eliminate distractions for the driver by helping him or her with navigation or other activities. Limit the activity within the vehicle and keep conversations calm.

Driver distractions are incredibly dangerous. Despite stringent traffic laws around the United States related to distracted driving it still happens. When it comes to commercial vehicles using a handheld device while driving a vehicle is against the law entirely under 49 CFR 392.2, which has been adopted by all 50 states. Everyone spends a lot of time in their vehicles, and it may seem like the perfect time to get little things done like calling friends, searching for good music, maybe even text.

messaging. Don’t do it. All those things can wait until you stop. Focus on the road and the drivers around you, this will ensure that you arrive alive!

If you would like more information on this topic or any other safety-related topic, please reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com, and we will get you taken care of.