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Distracted Driving
Distracted Driving month By Connie Hogue, Director of Human Resources and Safety
National Safety Council (NSC) plans to launch their annual distracted driving campaign in October this year. Distracted driving causes hundreds of unnecessary injury crashes every day in the United States.
The Multitasking Myth
While many of us spend our Connie Hogue day moving quickly between multiple tasks, research shows the human brain cannot handle two thinking tasks at the same time. Instead, your brain gets particularly good at moving quickly between two tasks.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is any activity that takes your attention away from safely operating a vehicle. This means taking your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off the task of driving. Drivers who send/receive text messages, make a phone call, glance at directions, or get social media alerts put themselves at great risk, and impact the safety of others who share the road.
Inattention Blindness
“Inattention blindness,” is a driver’s failure to notice a visible hazard because their attention is elsewhere. When drivers focus on another task, they can miss up to half of what is in their environment. Simply listening to someone during a phone conversation can decrease brain activity associated with driving by more than one-third. The use of smart watches, virtual assistants, and smart cars all create their own challenges. The best choice is always to focus only on driving when you are behind the wheel.
Tips to Stay Safe on the Road
• Turn on the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature on your devices. • Park in a safe location before using any devices. • Appoint a passenger to manage your phone, or other tasks that take your focus away from driving. • Keep devices out of arms reach to avoid the temptation of using them while driving. • Speak out if you are a passenger in a vehicle with a distracted driver. • Avoid calling or texting others when you know they are driving.
Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, AAA, National Safety Council
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN MULTITASK?
Your brain can’t process two things at once. It switches attention from one task to another.
