Tag Archives: distracted driving
Back to College Means Back to Accidents
As parents say goodbye to their children heading back to college, or area residents welcome students back to schools, our thoughts turn to college students and the cars they drive. More specifically, there is reason to be concerned about the increase in car accidents and traumatic brain injury (TBI) when college students return to school. About 70 percent of college-age students own or have access to cars, according to College Parents of America. In addition to increased congestion in areas around college campuses once fall semester begins, there is typically an increase in accidents, including accidents that can cause TBI. “For many students, the first year of college is a …
Don’t Become a Statistic: Reduce Brain Injuries by Stopping Texting and Driving
Five seconds. That’s about how long a driver takes his or her eyes off the road when reading or responding to a text. It doesn’t seem like a very long period of time until you realize that, at 55 mph, 5 seconds is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field while blindfolded. Texting while driving is hands down the most dangerous form of distracted driving because it requires the use of manual, visual, and cognitive skills. The driver’s eyes, hands and focus are off the road, leaving him or her vulnerable, as well as anyone else who’s in the car or unlucky enough to be on the …
Music and Your Brain: A Deadly Lullaby of Distracted Driving
Once the first car radio was rolled out by Gavin Corporation (Motorola) in 1930, there was no turning back. Since then, we’ve been accompanied on our drives by music from retractable record players, 8-track and cassette players, satellite radio, MP3 players, and iPODs. Technology doesn’t come without its downside, though. Auto accidents caused by distracted drivers injured an estimated 421,000 people in 2012, and listening to music while driving was a factor in many of those accidents. It’s estimated that 9 people die every day as a result of distracted driving, which can include anything from changing the song on the radio to talking to a passenger, or placing a …
Texting While Driving Vs. Drunk Driving: Which Is More Dangerous?
For decades, drunk driving has been at the forefront of debate. Stricter laws have been passed across the nation leading to a decrease in drunk driving accidents. However, a new driving threat is quickly taking its place. That threat is texting while driving – and many say that it is actually more dangerous than drunk driving. Comparing The Two: Texting While Driving Is Like Drinking 4 Beers The impairments associated with drunk driving and texting while driving are similar, according to the National Highway & Transportation Administration (NHTSA) website, distraction.org. Both cause distraction and impaired driving that can result in following too closely, not being able to brake on time …