Most of us are probably guilty of distracted driving at one time or another, whether it’s taking a phone call, checking a quick text, or eating: anything that takes our focus off the road is distracted driving.
Let’s take a closer look at distracted driving by looking again at the “Fun Run” episode of The Office. In this episode, Michael Scott, the boss of The Office, is driving to work, describing all the good things in his life. The concept of The Office is that a film crew is making a documentary about the people who work at this office, so the characters on the show often talk directly to the camera, as if answering interview questions.
As Michael drives to work, it seems that a camera person is riding in the passenger seat of his car, filming him as he drives. Although he is driving, Michael looks directly into the camera lens, taking his eyes from the road several times. As he turns into the parking lot, his eyes linger for 3 or 4 seconds, looking at the camera, until BAM! He hits something, and we see the body of Meredith (an employee) hit the windshield, then roll off the hood of the car onto the ground.
Granted, most of us do not travel with camera crews, but we all face distractions as we drive. We travel with friends, children, and pets in the car with us; all of these can be distracting.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Association cites texting as the most alarming driving distraction. “Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.”[1] The Transport Research Laboratory in London found that reaction times for people who texted while driving were 35 percent worse than when they drove without any distractions, compared to the reaction time while intoxicated being 12 percent worse. Another study found a sixfold increase in crashes when drivers were texting while driving. Although it could seem harmless to quickly check your phone while driving, texting while driving caused 14,202 crashes in Pennsylvania in 2018, and 65 fatalities.[2] It is so dangerous that 48 states have passed a ban on texting while driving. [3]
Pennsylvania’s ban on texting while driving prohibits any driver from using a device to send, read, or write a text-based communication while his or her vehicle is in motion.
This includes text messages, instant messages, email or other written communication composed or received on a device. The penalty is a summary offense and a $50 fine plus court costs and other fees.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation lists other activities that can be dangerous while driving, including:
- Eating, drinking and smoking
- Adjusting the radio
- Interacting with other passengers: teenagers are more likely to have a crash when driving with other teens, than if they are driving alone or with adult passengers
- Searching for or moving an object in the vehicle
- Reading or writing
- Personal grooming (combing hair, applying makeup)
- Rubbernecking when passing a crash scene or a work zone
- Looking at people, objects or events happening off of the roadway
Each of us can do our part to improve road safety by keeping our hands on the wheel and our eyes on the road.
If you or a family member have been injured by a distracted driver, contact Aversa & Linn about holding the at-fault driver responsible for your injuries.
[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
[2] https://www.penndot.gov/TravelInPA/Safety/TrafficSafetyAndDriverTopics/Documents/Texting-Ban-Fact-Sheet.pdf
[3] https://www.ghsa.org/state-laws/issues/distracted%20driving
