Most Connecticut residents are aware that distracted driving has been getting a lot more attention in the past few years than it had. This is with good reason as more information is coming to light showing just how dangerous this behavior really may be. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that in 2015 alone, almost 400,000 people were hurt in accidents involving a distracted driver. Almost another 3,500 died.
While a person may think that a quick glance at a phone screen is harmless, it should be remembered that every second counts. In fact, a vehicle travelling at 55 miles an hour can move 100 yards in the matter of just five seconds. A lot of damage can be done in those five seconds and over the length of a football field simply because a driver was looking at a phone instead of the road.
As the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety explains, it is not just the time that a driver’s eyes may be taken off the road that is the problem. It has been shown that on average it takes a person a full 27 seconds for their mind to completely refocus on the act of driving once it stops the distracted behavior. This is referred to as the latency period and it substantially increases the risk involved with distracted driving.
Also important for people to know is that distractions come in many forms. Essentially anything that takes eyes, hands or a person’s mind off of driving is a risk. Actions like texting that require all three may pose the biggest danger.