Distracted driving is an epidemic that takes lives on Georgia roadways every year. The biggest factor causing a surge in distracted driving rates is cellphone use. People think that reading a quick text message or making phone calls while driving is okay and will not hurt anything, but using a cellphone while driving is a serious issue that leads to accidents.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are nine people who die every single day in the country due to distracted driving, and it is not always the distracted driver who dies. So, a driver’s choice to use a cellphone puts other people’s lives at risk as well. Here are three ways that cellphones distract drivers.
- Visually
When drivers look away from the road for any amount of time, even a few seconds, it leaves them vulnerable. They can easily go off course or miss something happening on the road ahead. It just takes seconds for the car ahead to brake suddenly. If drivers are not watching they will miss important things that could lead to an accident.
- Mentally
When someone drives, his or her brain needs to focus only on driving. If the brain is not engaged, then the driver is not engaged. When a driver uses a cellphone to type out a text or even talk to someone, it splits his or her attention at best, but usually, it takes attention completely away from the road. Drivers cannot focus on what is happening with their vehicle, other vehicles or the path in front of them.
- Physically
Both hands on the wheel is a standard because it gives drivers the most control. If someone were to lose control with only one hand on the wheel, he or she probably would not be able to correct it. Taking a hand off the wheel to grab a cellphone is a huge risk, especially in bad driving conditions.
