Distracted driving can encompass more than what the driver’s ed textbook’s say. With new technologies and advances in day to day life there are many more distractions in cars than just cell phones.
Distracted driving is anything that can distract the mind from the task at hand, driving. There is obviously texting and driving and talking on the phone, but studies show that the radio, the speedometer, eating or drinking, or even having passengers in the car all fall under distracted driving.
“I am already reading my drivers manual and it never mentions anything about drinking beverages [nonalcoholic] or talking to your passengers in the car [after having your license for a year]. That seems like such a normal thing to do, but I guess you could get distracted from it,” NHS junior Kaitlyn McNichols said.
According to a Minnesota police officer, it is against the law to drink any drink while driving. A woman from Minnesota found that out the hard way after being pulled over for drinking coffee while driving on October 20.
“Everybody drinks coffee in the morning when they are driving. People are really trying to push safety in societies these days,” NHS senior Cal Creedin said.
Car crashes occur every day for a number of different reasons. People often will try to use their time in the car to multitask. It is estimated that every year there are 450,000 accidents just because of the driver applying makeup, and more than double that amount occur because of texting and driving. But, even if you are distracted and are lucky enough to avoid an accident, you still are distracted. You might not even know actually how much of a distracted driver you are.
“When I drive sometimes I don't even realize when I get distracted. The speedometer sometimes, like I don't realize how much time it takes for me to read it. And I listen to the radio, but it takes some focus for me to be able to change the volume and the station and stuff. There are also the windshield wipers and sometimes even the blinker. Like when I drive my mom’s car, I'm so unfamiliar with it that it distracts me when I try to do the windshield wipers or turn on the heat,” NHS junior Laura Malin said.
Something that many people advise is before actually driving is to take some time to get accustomed with the vehicle. So, locating where certain components are and the how to manipulate them, to make your ride as smooth as possible.
` Carrentalexpress.com states, “It’s critical that you familiarize yourself with the vehicle's layout and features. You never know when you might need to activate a safety feature quickly and efficiently during an emergency situation”.
While, these small little distractions don’t always cause accidents, it still is a distraction that can have a large effect. Anything can happen in those few seconds. A distraction is a distraction and while we can’t possibly rid of every distraction known to man, we can emphasize the importance and influence of safe driving.
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