Distracted driving is a problem in Georgia. According to the United States Department of Transportation, in 2017, distracted driving was the cause of 3,166 fatalities in the United States. Distracted driving can include any activity that takes a driver’s eyes and attention from the road. Playing with the radio, phone and text conversations, eating in the car or interacting with other passengers may lead to fatal consequences for drivers.
According to the CDC, there are cognitive distractions, visual distractions and manual distractions. To avoid a cognitive distraction, drivers should not drive when preoccupied with other matters. For instance, if a person has work-related issues or family drama to settle, he or she may be unfit to drive. Visual distractions occur when a driver looks away from the road. Drivers should not play with electronic devices; check on children or eye the GPS. Manual distractions involve taking a hand off the steering wheel. Drivers should not dig through purses, adjust the GPS or conduct any action other than driving. When driving, multitasking often leads to distracted driving.
Text messaging is one of the most alarming culprits. In a few seconds, a car may weave in front of a distracted driver, a child might enter the roadway or an animal may cross the highway. Drivers can avoid multitasking by using hands-free devices, checking on children before the drive or pulling over for children during and shutting cell phones off ahead of time. When a person texts and drives at 55 mph, he or she covers the length of a football field in five seconds blindly.
