The Dangers of Distracted Driving

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2022, over 3,300 people were killed as a result of distractive driving. That same year, it is estimated that distracted drivers caused 289,310 injuries in traffic accidents. These statistics are both alarming and disturbing. Is there a simple fix?

There may be many factors that contribute to distracted driving-related accidents. Attention or the lack of, seems to be at the top of the list.

Attention is a limited resource. When we focus our attention on a particular task, we allocate cognitive resources to that task and as a result, have fewer resources to attend to other things. In other words, we only have the capacity to focus 100% of our attention on one thing at a time.

There are many things that can grab our attention while driving. Imagine that you are driving down the highway listening to your favorite 80’s tunes while sipping on your hot Starbuck’s coffee with four shots of expresso and two pumps of hazelnut. With only a couple of sips into this trip, you should at least be wide awake. Although your attention is divided, you may be doing a fairly good job of staying within your lane. All of a sudden you spill your hot coffee on your lap…ouch! Your brain originally allocated a certain amount of cognitive resources for each task. This kept you on the road, but now you become super focused on the coffee spill and the associated pain with the incident. Your ability to manage all of the previous tasks, including staying on the road, is now limited or may be non-existent. The result…distraction and a possible car accident.

According to the NHTSA, if you are driving 55 mph and send or receive a text you will take your eyes off the road for approximately five seconds. At 55 mph this 5 second distraction means you will have traveled the length of a football field and have no concept of what was in that space as you drove. In other words, it’s as if you traveled that distance with your eyes closed.

The NHTSA reports that texting while driving is six times more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol. While there are many ways a driver may be distracted while driving, cell phones seem to be a common reason. This is a frightening thought since many people appear to be addicted to their cell phones.

Experts in the field of addiction believe that pursuing pleasure is hardwired into our brains. The culprit is dopamine, the neurotransmitter that makes us feel good.

Checking social media posts and comments can easily lead us into the dopamine reward loop. When we repeatedly perform an activity that’s associated with pleasure, such as checking our phones, the pattern becomes etched into our neural pathways. Dopamine leaves us wanting more. Not all social media posts/comments stimulate this pleasure loop which only leads us to continue to scroll until we find what we are looking for. The end result, distracted driving steals our attention and can result in an accident. Below are some proactive actions we can take while sharing the road with others.

First and foremost, don’t be the distracted driver. When driving, give that task 100 percent of your focus.

·?????? Maintain situational awareness at all times by scanning the road ahead, checking mirrors and remaining alert to the movements of other vehicles and pedestrians.

·?????? Always keep a safe following distance to the vehicle in front of you. By doing so you allow yourself adequate reaction time to stop or maneuver.

·?????? Obey the speed limits. Speed limits are determined, in part, by statistical work performed by traffic engineers to ensure the allowable speed is safe for the location and surrounding area.

·?????? Communicate your intentions clearly and early. This includes using your brakes and turn signals.

·?????? Practice courtesy and patience with other drivers. Yield the right of way when possible and avoid unnecessary confrontations with other drivers.

Remember attention is a limited resource, so be sure to give your full attention at all times while driving. When sharing the road with others, it’s important we do our part in staying safe.

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