Due to the multiple cameras on this mass transit bus, we can see exactly what happens when drivers take their eyes off the road, even for a few seconds.
Watch what happens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ydsCfasGT8
While there’s been a recent emphasis on drivers who are distracted because they’re on their cell phones, this video provides a reminder that there are other types of driving distractions. Distraction.gov provides this list:
- texting
- using a cell phone
- eating and drinking
- talking to passengers
- grooming
- reading, including maps
- using a navigation system
- watching a video, and
- adjusting a radio or other audio device.
The federal government website encourages employers to enact a company policy on distracted driving and provides a sample.
Why create a company distracted driving policy?
- In 2014, 3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers
- An estimated 169.3 billion text messages are sent in the U.S. every month
- Drivers text-messaging or visibly manipulating handheld devices increased from 1.7% in 2013 to 2.2% in 2014
- At any given daylight moment in the U.S., about 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving
- A 2015 Erie Insurance survey found one-third of drivers admit to texting while driving, and three-quarters say they’ve seen others do it (in the same survey, drivers reported doing all sorts of dangerous things behind the wheel including brushing their teeth and changing clothes), and
- When traveling 55 mph, a vehicle can cover the length of a football field in five seconds, the average time your eyes are off the road while texting.
