Driving distractions
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
There is a lot to be said about driving distractions. I guess everyone has a different definition as to what can be considered as a driving distraction. A few facts about distractions before we give you a few that may make you smile or gasp in disbelief! The average distraction can last up to 5 seconds. Those 5 seconds are enough to drive the length of a football field. You are 23 times more likely to get into an accident.
Driving is a privilege. It is not a right! Enough of the heavy stuff. Attached to this blog is a video of people talking about the weirdest driving distractions they have seen. Texting is one of the worst distractions there is; it increases an accident by 400%. Four hundred percent is a guarenteed accident in my book. Talking on the cell phone is another major driving distraction , and probably the most abused. One day, I was getting out of the bank, and walking to my car, when the car next to me was backing up and almost hit me. The driver was talking on her cell phone, and did not bother to look back when backing her car. She exclaimed, “Where did you come from?” I said , “Mam, you need to watch were you are going and get off your cell phone.” She did not appreciate my words of wisdom and of common sense.
I guess common sense is missing from people who drive while reading. I remember looking at the person next to me and he was reading a book. What would happen if he had to react to something that happened in front of him? Another time, while I was driving, a lady was putting her mascara on while driving. Guess, she does not need that eye, if she had to pit stop.
Driving distractions can range to lighting a cigarette, changing your radio station, or even changing you IPOD song. It seems when people get into a car, they have a form of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). It always interest me to hear people’s stories about the weird things that other do in their cars. Lots of nose pickers out there. Honestly, don’t they think someone can see them!
The best suggestion I have for drivers in general is wait till you get to a stop light to do something that will take you 5 seconds or less. If you need more time than that, pull into a store front area, and make that phone call, adjust your IPOD, etc. Driving distractions can create serious accidents; so value your life and others and take driving more seriously.