How Dangerous is Distracted Driving, and How Can it be Prevented?
April 8th 2022
In 2019, 7% of all fatal crashes were distraction-related, resulting in 3,142 lives lost, an increase of almost 10% over 2018. In 2018, 15% of injurious crashes and 14% of all police reported motor vehicle crashes were reported as distraction affected [1]. Distracted driving, attributable to the performance of secondary tasks, is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes among both novice and experienced drivers. In Canada, there was a 102% increase in the percentage that reported texting while driving in 2019 compared to 2010 [2]. A 2014 study found that among novice drivers, the risk of a crash or near crash increased when using a cell phone, reaching for an object other than a cell phone, looking at a roadside object, or eating [3]. Among experienced drivers, dialing a cell phone was associated with a significantly increased risk of a crash or near-crash.
While there are multiple studies that have established a link between distracted driving and diminished safety, research has also linked distraction to safety and traffic flow. Results from a simulated driving study show that distraction (specifically text messaging) had a negative impact on traffic flow, such that participants exhibited a greater fluctuation in speed, changed lanes significantly fewer times, and took longer to complete the driving task. This has an overall negative impact on traffic operations [4].
What can the government do to reduce distracted driving crashes?
According to the Transportation Research Base, governing bodies should heed a few actions that will help reduce distracted driving immediately and, in the future [5]. Firstly, they can continue to implement rumble strips and other low-cost distracted driving counter measures. Secondly, they can record distracted driving in crash reports to the extent possible to assist in evaluating distracted driving laws and programs. Evaluation of these laws will provide the information governing organizations need on which countermeasures are effective and which are not [5].
What can drivers do to reduce instances of distracted driving?
Some ways we can minimize bouts of distracted driving include avoiding multitasking– including cell phone use, vehicle adjustments, grooming, or searching for objects in the vehicle [6]. Even using hands-free devices such as voice activated systems might be unsafe as these systems still distract a driver’s attention away from the road. Drivers should also look to get organized, such as storing paperwork in a secure place and getting rid of clutter [5].
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[2] Lyon, C., Brown, S., Vanlaar, W., & Robertson, R. (2021). Prevalence and trends of distracted driving in Canada. Journal of safety research, 76, 118-126.
[3] Klauer, S. G., Guo, F., Simons-Morton, B. G., Ouimet, M. C., Lee, S. E., & Dingus, T. A. (2014). Distracted driving and risk of road crashes among novice and experienced drivers. New England journal of medicine, 370(1), 54-59.
[4] Stavrinos, D., Jones, J. L., Garner, A. A., Griffin, R., Franklin, C. A., Ball, D., ... & Fine, P. R. (2013). Impact of distracted driving on safety and traffic flow. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 61, 63-70.
[5] https://trid.trb.org/view/1106493
[6] https://www.defensivedriving.org/dmv-handbook/stopping-distracted-driving/