The freedom of the roads – to go where we want, when we want – is something that Americans have cherished for decades. And although the constant evolution of our cars and road system has brought many safety improvements over the years, driving is in no way without danger. The hazards posed by distracted driving are among the most prevalent of these dangers, and yet also among the easiest to prevent. Taking simple measures, such as using hands-free systems for mobile phone use in the car, and ALWAYS avoiding texting while driving, could greatly reduce distracted driving accidents and save thousands of lives every year.

A startling 37,000 people were killed in auto accidents in the US in 2008, and more than 2 million injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA also reports that of all of these traffic fatalities, more than 16% of them were caused by distracted driving. Now it’s unrealistic, of course, to think that we will ever completely eliminate traffic accidents; however, few would argue that we don’t have quite a bit of room for improvement. Accident reduction and safety improvement can be achieved in many different ways, with one of the most obvious being simply to minimize distractions and pay closer attention to driving our cars: keep our heads up, our eyes on the road and our hands on the wheel. And one of the most dangerous and pressing distractions that we should strive toward eliminating is manual manipulation of cellular phones by drivers.

If we’re paying attention to our phones when behind the wheel, we’re not paying attention to the roadway, other vehicles, and pedestrians around us. A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study confirms this in their research finding that text messaging while driving causes drivers to take their eyes off of the road for 4.6 seconds, on average, for every 6 second interval. In that 4.6 seconds, a car traveling 55 mph covers the distance of a football field! It shouldn’t be shocking, then, to learn that VTTI also found text messaging while driving to cause the risk of crash or near crash events to increase more than 23%.

The consensus among experts is unanimous – texting, emailing, web browsing or any other physical manipulation of cellular phones while driving should be strictly banned. In order to drive safely, drivers’ attention must not be distracted from the roadway, and any such activity that causes a distraction should be avoided. In addition to texting and emailing, making or receiving phone calls without the use of a true hands-free system has also been found to be a distraction and should be avoided as well. A true hands-free system allows drivers to make and receive calls without having to look at the phone for more than a fleeting second and doesn’t require the driver to physically touch the phone. A typical hands-free system usually includes: A secure mount that holds the phone in a position that doesn’t cause the driver to look away from the road when glancing at the phone; voice activated answering and dialing software; and, a hands-free speaker/microphone or bluetooth headset.

Let’s face it, if we’re totally honest with ourselves we would likely all agree that shutting our phones off when we’re driving is the safest option for preventing distraction. But we also know that for a considerable number of drivers this simply is not going to happen. So for those who must stay connected while behind the wheel, the only safe option is to go hands-free… true hands-free. First, and most importantly, this means NEVER TEXTING WHILE DRIVING! As for making and receiving calls, mount your phone securely where you can glance at it to see who’s calling without having to look down or look away from the road; use voice activated software to place and answer calls; and, use a headset. Keep your head up, hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Pay attention out there – it just might save a life!

Want to learn more about distracted driving, then visit Madison Wright’s site on how to choose the best hands-free products for your needs.

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