Driver Distraction is an Increasingly Common Cause of Auto Accidents
January 07, 2009 @ 10:32 PM — by unknown
We've all done it. We're driving down the road and the cell phone rings, or a song we don't like comes on the radio, or we drop a ketchup-covered French fry into our laps. We take our eyes off the road for a split second--and in that split second, we're involved in an auto accident.
Even when an auto accident is caused by some other factor such as alcohol or drug impairment, following too closely, or excessive speed, driver distraction probably contributed. Distractions come from many sources both inside and outside a vehicle, and it's almost impossible to not become distracted while driving.
The Dangers of Distracted Drivers
More than 70 percent of driver distractions come from inside the car. Children and pets move around. Passengers talk. The driver is eating or talking on the phone, or even putting on makeup. Thoughts wander, or sleepiness can overtake the driver.
The other 30 percent of distractions come from outside the vehicle: an animal runs into the road, the driver "r