Safety Tip

Driving Distractions

Did you know that even the most routine activities are potentially distracting while driving?  Distractions make drivers forget that their primary responsibility is to focus on driving and what is around them.

Do you know when you are driving distracted?

• Has a passenger in your car screamed or gasped because of something you did?
• Did you run a stop sign unintentionally?
• Have you slammed on your brakes because you didn’t see the car in front of you stop?
• Do you forget driving from one place to another?

Safety Facts for the Road

• Distracted driving is a factor in traffic incidents/accidents.
• Events inside and outside the vehicle can distract a driver.  Adverse roadway and weather conditions require a driver’s full attention.
• While taking one’s eyes off the road presents obvious risks, activities that take a driver’s mind away from driving are just as risky.
• A driver’s ability to manage distractions varies widely and can change from day-to-day depending on their level of stress and fatigue.
• Distracted drivers failed to recognize potential hazards on the road, parking lots, staging lanes/areas and react more slowly to traffic conditions, decreasing their “margin of safety.”

Activities Drivers Engaged in While Driving

• Talking to passengers
• Adjusting vehicle climate/radio controls
• Eating
• Using a cell phone 
• Reading
• Grooming
• Preparing for work

Drive Focused.  Stay Safe.  Stay Alive.  Avoid Distracted Driving.

• Safe driving practices require that you constantly search the roadway ahead for situations that could require you to take quick action.
• Recognize that driving requires your full attention.