Table Of ContentsWhat Is Distracted Driving? 1

Why Shouldn’t You Drive Distracted? 2

Distracted Driving Survey Results 3

Charts 4

Tips 5

Also Featuring: Facts On Every Page!

What is Distracted Driving?

Many people today are so confident in their driving skills that they do not believe that driving while distracted is a big deal, but how can something that kills over 3,000 people every year not be seen as a problem? A distraction is defined as anything that divides attention or prevents concentration. This means that not only cellphones but anything that takes the drivers focus from the road is considered a distraction. There are three main types of distractions that are put into categories of visual, man-ual, or cognitive. Under those catego-ries, distractions include cellphones, eating food, fellow passengers, or, even, playing music. Just because a

driver’s eyes are on the road does not mean they are paying attention. In many instanc-es, distractions cause a lack of focus that can result in serious accidents. One would want a surgeon paying attention when they are op-erating on them, so wouldn’t one expect the person in the driver’s seat focusing the same amount. The topic of distracted driving doesn’t alert many people because these actions pre-formed while driving are considered “normal” in modern day society. However, these actions are more alarming than what many believe. Even “hands free” options are not mind free. Bluetooth and voice activated electronics are still distractions because they make the brain multitask, therefore diverting the driver’s attention away from the road. A driver’s at-tention should be focused on safe driving, and only safe driving. Many young drivers are not even concerned with the dangers of distracted driving, and 4 out of 5 agree that sending a text does changes their driving performance for the worse. We know distracted driving is a serious problem, but it is not taken as seri-ously as needed. Simple actions causing dis-tractions can have deadly consequences when behind the wheel.

FACT #1: In 2011, 1.3 million crashes were due to texting while driving. #nowyouknow

Fact #2: 5 seconds is the minimal amount of time your attention is taken away from the road while texting and driving #nowyouknow

Why Shouldn’t You Text and Drive? Think back to a time you have been in a car driving down the road. Chances are, you have looked into the car beside you at some point and seen that the driver is not at all fo-cused. They might have been eating, texting, talking on the phone, rummaging for some-thing, or even applying makeup. It doesn’t really seem like a big deal, does it, but when you think about the statistics, it does. In fact, in 2011, at least 23% of crashes were caused by distracted driving. The person involved in that crash could have been your mom, best friend, or even your-self. Last year, a few students from Boardman High School were involved in a crash. This was due to the amount of people in the car, four teenagers, coupled with the noise of the car that distracted the driver. One of the girls who was a passenger during this crash says that just before the accident they were just listening to music, talking, and having fun. In fact, the fatalities risk of teen drivers increases 3.6 times when there are passengers than when they are alone. The passenger says the driver wasn’t entirely focused on the road due to the loudness of the other passengers, as is the case in many distracted driving incidents. Recent studies by American Automobile Association show that the treat of a crash nearly triples when there are two or more passengers in a car. Injuries caused from distracted driving incidents can range from a few bruises to death. Luckily, the worst injury in the case of the high school students was a head injury, but many are not that lucky. Almost 9 people die a day due to distracted driving incidents. Many others, such

as the passenger in the high school students’ crash, have fears of getting back in the car and very high anxiety. The passenger claimed that she never saw this happening to her, and she never saw being not entirely focused as a very big deal. Many people are the same way. 55% of teens are entirely confident in their driving skills that they believe it is safe to text while drive, but in reality, teens who text and drive spend 10% of time out of their lane! So remember, that one lettered text (“K”) is nowhere near important as the lives you’re putting in danger, and it can WAIT!

Survey Results A survey was taken by some students in our high school to give people an idea on the stance of teens when it comes to distracted driv-ing. Thirty-seven students were asked a variety of questions about the topic and we recorded the results. Out of the thirty seven students, twenty six have their license. When asked if they used a cell phone while driving, only nine driv-ers said they did not. Thirteen of the cellphone users said they mostly text, while two said the mostly make calls. Four drivers said they did an equal amount on texting and driving. Although nineteen drivers said they used their phones, sixteen of them did agree that it impairs their driving skills. Fifteen out of the twenty six driv-ers said they are distracted by things other than cell phones while driving such as grooming, putting on makeup, or searching through bags. Five of these fifteen students do not believe this effects their driving skills. When all thirty seven students were asked if they have been in the car with a distracted driver, all of them said they have been. Twenty three students said this made them feel unsafe, but fourteen said they saw no danger. This survey shows exactly how teenagers feel about distracted driving. Many students did say they felt that driving and using a cell phone impaired their abilities, yet they continue to do it. This shows the teenage state of mind that “it won’t happen to me”. The students that do use phones while driving also mostly preferred to text rather than call. Although both uses are dangerous, texting pulls much more attention away for the road. The results of drivers being distracted by things other than phones showed once again that people refuse to accept the dangers of distracted driving. Everyone that was asked if they have been in the car with someone

who was driving while distracted said they had been. This reveals just how dangerous being on the road can be due to constant driver distrac-tions. More than half the students stated that they did in fact feel unsafe while in a car with a driver that was not fully aware of the road. Un-fortunately, many students feel perfectly safe in such a situation. This means the threat of dying due to a distraction is so common that it is not seen as very significant in today’s society. Are we really going to teach young people that pos-sibly causing the death of yourself or others is worth the risk because “it won’t happen to me”?

Fact #3: Texting while driving makes a crash 23x more likely. Talking or listening makes a crash 1.3x more likely. Dialing on a phone makes a crash 2.8x more likely. #nowyouknow

Tips:1.) Try to avoid music and loud talking in the car. It will only distract from the road.2.) Wait to check your phone until you are no longer the driver of a ve-hicle.3.) When you’re driving, the road is the most important thing. FOCUS ON IT!4.) Personal grooming is for bath-rooms, not your car! 5.) Avoid eating while driving.

Stay focused. Stay safe. Stay Alive.