As April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a great deal of information surrounding the dangerous behavior is being brought to light. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 18 percent of all injury crashes in 2010 involved distracted driving.
The latest research comes from Erie Insurance, which analyzed police report data from 2010 and 2011 to determine just what distractions are causing people to get into accidents. Among the top distractions were smoking-related activities, eating and drinking, adjusting the radio and other dashboard controls, rubbernecking, handling handheld devices such as navigation systems, and using cellphones to make calls or send texts. However, none of these held a candle to the most commonly reported distraction – daydreaming.
Being "lost in thought" or "generally distracted," as police officers wrote on accident reports, accounted for 62 percent of all distracted drivers, whereas using a cellphone was only the cause in 12 percent of accidents. This finding makes it clear that it doesn't matter what you're doing – if you're not 100 percent focused on the task of driving, the risk of a crash will increase drastically.
"Treat driving as a complicated task requiring your full attention," the foundation said on its website. "Remember 20 complex decisions are needed for every mile you drive."
The study also found that roughly one in 10 accidents involved at least one form of distracted driving, but the authors noted that some police reports may have been inaccurate or certain drivers might not have been entirely honest about their behavior behind the wheel.
It is important for every driver to observe safe practices behind the wheel and pay attention to the road, as a few motorists may think they're above the law.
Those looking to improve their safety on the road can find a reliable used car, truck or SUV on the lot at New Jersey State Auto Auction. The dealer has a wide selection of makes and models to choose from, and every vehicle is CARFAX certified.