The dangers of distracted driving have been well publicized, but drivers all over Minnesota continue to use cell phones while behind the wheel. These distractions, however, are not limited to drivers on our roads. Recently, two airline pilots were the focus of national attention after they overshot the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport by 150 miles while flying distracted by their laptop computers.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar called the incident, "the ultimate case of distracted driving." Though it does represent an extreme example of the perils of distraction and the pilots were obviously irresponsible, it also represents the best case scenario: no one was injured or killed by their actions. Passengers were inconvenienced by the serious lapses in judgment, but everyone landed safely.
Distracted Driving Is a Proven Danger
Unfortunately, distracted drivers on the roads are often not so fortunate, nor are the victims of their carelessness. Traffic safety experts say that distracted driving is a factor in upwards of 25 percent of all crashes.
In a recent report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that there were 34,017 fatal car crashes in 2008; distracted driving was a factor in 16 percent, or over 5,400 fatal crashes.
The NHTSA said approximately 2,346,000 people suffered personal injuries in motor vehicle crashes in 2008, of which an estimated 22 percent — or more than a half-million injuries — involved distracted drivers.
Ninety Feet Per Second
The biggest danger in distracted driving is the most obvious one: it takes a driver’s attention off of the road. When traveling at 55 miles per hour, a vehicle covers 90 feet per second. The average time to compose and send a text message is five seconds, meaning the driver is distracted while traveling more than the length of a football field.
Texting drivers are 43 times more likely to be in a crash or near-crash; a person talking on their cellphone while driving is four times more likely to be in a crash or near-crash.
Here in Minnesota, it is illegal for all drivers to text while driving. It is also illegal for school bus drivers, drivers with learner’s permits or those with provisional licenses to use cell phones while driving. McSweeney and Fay helps injured victims of distracted drivers.
