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Reaching for Items in Your Vehicle and Distracted Driving

October 26, 2009

The hazard drivers create when they text or talk on cell phones has received considerable attention in the popular press recently. However, a more common distracted driving hazard is reaching for an item in the vehicle. Though cell phone use while driving is a significant problem, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) studies indicate that it is a relatively small proportion of the distracted driving issue.

Driving distractions occur anytime something takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the steering wheel, or your mental attention from the task. Some distractions involve two or even all three of these. When you look for a particular song on a CD or MP3 player, your eyes turn from the road ahead, you remove at least one hand from the steering wheel, and you are temporarily preoccupied by the task of searching for the song you want to hear.

Other “reaching” distractions include:

  • Eating
  • Smoking
  • Manipulating the controls of the aforementioned stereo, an in-vehicle navigation system or the climate control system
  • Reaching for a fallen object

NHTSA estimates that drivers participate in potentially distracting activities about 30% of the time their vehicles are moving. Distraction may result in:

  • loss of vehicle control
  • unintended speed changes
  • leaving the lane of travel
  • missed opportunities to respond to changes in the driving scene

Though a motor vehicle crash caused by a driver reaching for something in the vehicle is not easily proved unless the driver admits to it, most drivers are aware of having driven while distracted by reaching for something in the vehicle.

“Reaching for something” does not have to mean reaching for an inanimate object. When they reach out to soothe, protect or discipline their children and pets, drivers’ attention is removed from the driving scene. Driving requires all your concentration, and parents should teach their children this and reinforce the lesson when necessary. Children should be fastened into appropriate safety restraint systems. While distractions aren’t good for you as a driver, they are great for children as passengers; DVDs, books, games, and small toys can keep them occupied until you reach your destination. If your children need attention, find a safe place to pull off the roadway. Your furry friend can travel safely in a pet carrier or safety harness. Never let your pet ride in your lap or roam around the vehicle while you drive.

Other ways to manage distractions include adjusting all of the vehicle’s controls before you start to drive and during stops at traffic lights, asking passengers to assist you when you need to get something inside your vehicle, and taking breaks to eat, drink and smoke.

Learning how to manage the distraction of reaching for things in your vehicle is a daunting task because it occurs so frequently. But doing so will allow you to keep you, your passengers, and other road users safe when you’re behind the wheel.

Tips for Teens: Handling Roadside Distractions on Spring Break

March 6, 2009

Spring break is an exciting annual event for many young people. They look forward to taking time off from the rigors of schoolwork to spend time with friends having fun in an exotic setting.

But this can also be a dangerous time for young people, especially when they drive to their destination, often accompanied by distractions such as passengers and loud music. Driving requires attention and awareness, along with the ability to make complex decisions and act on them quickly. For someone driving in an unfamiliar setting, this awareness is particularly important. Drivers in an unfamiliar setting can get distracted by:

  • perplexing roads, signs, and signals
  • getting lost or confused
  • looking at maps or driving directions
  • looking at the scenery

In this article, we will address the issue of how to handle roadside distractions when driving in an unfamiliar setting.“Roadside distractions” refers to any aspect of the environment that draws a motorist’s attention away from the task of driving. For example, a driver who is spending spring break in a beach town may face roadside distractions such as:

Heavy pedestrian traffic with pedestrians who may:

  • Dart in and out of traffic
  • Be over-excited or intoxicated
  • Be skimpily dressed
  • Include large groups of children
  • Be carrying several items, such as beach towels and toys

Other drivers who:

  • exceed the low speed limit
  • run red lights and stop signs
  • weave in and out of traffic
  • play loud music
  • call out from their vehicles
  • Other road users who are riding motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and skateboards
  • Narrow roadways, closed roads, and detours
  • Noise and bright lights from nearby hotels, restaurants, bars and amusement parksDrivers who are faced with this bewildering array of lights, sound and movement must continually refocus their attention on their driving. This is particularly important for inexperienced drivers whose control of the vehicle may be somewhat tenuous; a crash could occur very quickly. The following tips will help:

Minimize distractions inside the vehicle:

  • Turn the stereo off
  • Ask passengers to quiet down
  • Don’t eat, drink or smoke
  • Turn your cell phone off
  • Ask a passenger to act as a navigator instead of looking at the map or directions yourself
Avoid stopping or turning suddenly:

  • Drive at or below the posted speed limit
  • Maintain an adequate following distance
  • Use your turn signal
  • Keep driving normally and turn around in a safe place if you miss your turn

Scan the road ahead and your mirrors for trouble:

  • Watch the road ahead while taking quick glances further ahead and in your mirrors
  • Don’t let yourself be distracted from scanning – while you’re staring at one thing, another hazard could develop outside of your range of vision

Ask yourself “What if…?”

  • What if that pedestrian steps into the street?
  • What if that bicyclist falls?
  • What if that traffic light changes suddenly?
  • What if that weaving driver is drunk?

Avoid careless, reckless, aggressive drivers and drivers who may be intoxicated:

  • Keep a safe distance from these vehicles
  • Avoid challenging these drivers with your vehicle, eye contact, or gestures

Remember, driving safely helps ensure a safe, relaxing spring break!