Hang Up and Drive!

Submitted by Kentucky Steve.

CELL PHONE DISTRACTIONS

“The most commonly identified driver violations for cell phone users involved in crashes were failure to reduce speed (23.5%), traffic signal violation (9.6%), speeding (4.9%), following too closely (3.5%), and failure to yield (3.5%).” This information is from the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center.
“Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65% of near crashes involve some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event.” – Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

An increasing number of states are introducing and passing legislation to restrict the use of wireless devices by drivers. As of November 2007, six states and the District of Columbia have bans in place (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Utah, and Washington). Some states have ruled that text messaging is already covered in the “hands free” legislation.

What steps can drivers take to reduce their risk of having an accident? Although it may seem impractical to some drivers, the best option is to turn off the phone while driving. If your company allows use of cell phones or two way radio devices, here are a few tips:

Remember that safe driving is your first responsibility. Always buckle up, keep your eyes on the road, and hands on the wheel (use auto dialers, or ask passengers to place calls for you).

Whenever possible and safe to do so, pull off the highway to make calls.

Never take notes or read maps while on the phone under any kind of driving conditions. Always pull off the road to a safe, secure parking area to deal with complicated discussions.

Let the voicemail feature pick up calls when dealing with difficult conditions (bad weather, heavy traffic, etc.).
Although the use of speaker phones, earpieces, auto dialers and speech-activated phones will not eliminate the risk, these features can help you to maintain concentration on driving duties.

Complicated conversations should be minimized – short simple communications should be the norm when in traffic conditions. If a detailed conversation is necessary, ask to conduct the call after you’ve found a place to stop: complex interactions are more likely to cause a significant distraction.

If you are distracted by a phone conversation, you are putting yourself “at risk” of becoming involved in a collision, and possibly endangering others.

It is always prudent to minimize distractions when driving, and turning off the phone may be very helpful; however, if your company does not restrict cell use while driving, please be extra careful and vigilant – it only takes a moment to misread hazards on the road that can lead to a collision.