Be aware while driving

By: Peter Bacqué | Richmond Times Dispatch
Published: April 28, 2009

Nearly all drivers are distracted within the three seconds right before they crash, a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study says.

So driver-safety organizations are calling on Virginians to use the state's Distracted Driving Awareness Day tomorrow to pledge to pay attention while behind the wheel.

"Distracted driving is becoming recognized as a top danger behind the wheel, along with speeding and impaired driving," DMV Deputy Commissioner David Mitchell said yesterday in a statement.

The annual estimated cost of crashes caused by cell phone use is $43 billion, according to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis.

According to a Harris Poll, 57 percent of those surveyed admitted to sending text messages while driving. In the 18-to-34 age group, that number rose to 72 percent.

"A person who would never consider drinking and driving may not hesitate to text while driving, which has been shown to be as dangerous," said Janet Brooking, executive director of Drive Smart Virginia.

"We believe that once people understand the danger of taking their eyes and . . . mind off of the task of driving," Brooking said, "they will work to change their bad habits behind the wheel."

Anything that takes a driver's eyes or mind off of the road is a distraction from driving, officials said: personal grooming, eating, reaching for items in the car, and talking and texting on a cell phone, for example.

A University of Utah study shows that a person talking on a cell phone is four times more likely to get into a crash than someone driving without distraction from the phone. For someone texting when driving, the likelihood is six times higher.

And there is no difference in the distraction between hand-held and hands-free devices, University of Utah simulator studies showed.

To reduce accidents caused by driver distraction in Virginia, a state law prohibiting text messaging behind the wheel takes effect July 1.

"Although driving seems like second nature, it's still a skill that requires constant, complex coordination between your mind and body," said Martha M. Meade with the AAA Mid-Atlantic travel organization.

"Unfortunately, a moment's lapse in attention can have tragic consequences," Meade said, "so you should always keep your mind on the task at hand."

Contact Peter Bacqué at (804) 649-6813 or pbacque@timesdispatch.com.