According to the National Safety Council (NCS), cell phone usage causes 1 in 4 automobile crashes. Here are the details
The brain cannot safely perform the multitasking required to use a cell phone while operating a vehicle.
This is the conclusion of the National Safety Council (NSC), which reports that one out of every four vehicle crashes involves cell phone use at the time of the crash.
This fact alone should provide enough incentive for motorists to stop using phones and PDAs while driving. But many continue to do so.
A study of police accident reports indicates that more than 1.6 million drivers using cell phones or texting are responsible for injury accidents in the United States each year, according to a recent NSC white paper. The report highlights a finding that will surprise most: There is no difference in risk between hands-free and handheld cell phone use.
The NSC paper, "Understanding the Distracting Brain: Why Driving while Using Hands-Free Cell Phones is Risky Behavior," includes references to more than 30 scientific studies and reports. It describes how using a cell phone, hands-free or handheld, requires the brain to multitask - a process it cannot do safely while driving.
The study concludes that cell phone use while driving not only impairs driving performance; it also weakens the brain's ability to capture driving cues. The NSC paper describes how drivers who use cell phones have a tendency to "look at" but not "see" up to 50 percent of the information in their driving environment. A form of inattention blindness occurs, which results in drivers having difficulty monitoring their surroundings, seeking and identifying potential hazards, and responding to unexpected situations.
Drivers are distracted in three ways:
- Taking eyes off the road - a visual distraction
- Taking mind off the road - a cognitive distraction
- Taking hands off the wheel - a manual distraction
Texting while driving
Texting while driving involves all three distractions, requiring a the driver to take his or her eyes, mind, and hands off the road for as long as five seconds, nearly the length of a football field when traveling at 60 mph.
Cell phone use while driving has become a serious public health threat. Furthermore, motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of worker fatalities, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Lawmakers and employers have begun to respond to the liability of such behaviors by introducing distracted-driving legislation and policies.
THis information was sent to me by my Franklin Insurance agent Andy Jones
Larry, I wouldn't doubt that in the least bit. At 60 you are traveling 88 feet per second...
Larry,
It would be hard today to sell real estate if we did not answer our cell phone while driving.
I know my brain limitations and don't talk on the cell while driving. I don't answer it either. I do check my 800# for messages often.
Michael - I agree
Mike - I'm not so sure. I may put a new message on my phone that says that I may be driving, and I'll call you back when I get to my destination.
Lenn - It's nice to know your limits.