We focused primarily on cell phone usage in discussing distracted driving earlier this week. However, this video featuring David Teater, the Senior Director of Transportation Strategic Initiatives for the National Safety Council, is effective because it compares cell phone usage to the other forms of driver distraction.
As Mr. Teater discusses in this segment, the risk of a particular distraction itself—be it talking on a cell phone, reaching for a moving object or turning around in a seat—is really only half of the equation. The other half that can determine crash involvement is how often the activity is occurring. As Teater says, not many people are putting on makeup while driving, but the 10 percent of drivers using their cell phones at any given time is “off the charts” compared to the frequency of other distractions.
We would recommend watching the other videos featuring Teater as well, all of which touch on many of the aspects surrounding distracted driving. In one segment, Teater dispels the myth behind multitasking by speaking about how research has shown that the human brain, when presented with two “cognitively demanding tasks”—such as texting and driving—sequentially tasks, going back and forth, rather than trying to process both at the same time.
Our attorneys will post more news about activities in conjunction with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April. We sincerely hope that continued education and advocacy about this issue can help reduce the number of auto accidents as well as unnecessary injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving.
Wooten Kimbrough, P.A. – Orlando personal injury lawyers