Dearborn, MI (Apr. 24, 2023) – April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, so what better time to bring up some important statistics that we should all be aware of every time we get behind the wheel? While April is only one month of the year, the results of distracted driving affect people every single day. For roads to be safer for all, drivers must be constantly aware of the dangers of distracted driving. There is no easy fix to eliminate distracted driving, but more sustainable solutions include a mix of public policy, technology, and education.
What Is Distracted Driving?
The focus while driving should always be on driving itself. According to recent studies, Canadian drivers are spending more time in their cars, with commuting time and route lengths increasing over the past decade. This can lead to boredom and, in turn, to distraction. While a lot of emphasis is placed on not texting and driving, that isn’t the only form distraction can take. Distraction from driving is any activity that diverts your attention away from the road, from talking or texting to eating or drinking to adjusting the radio.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) lays out three types of driving distractions:
- Visual: Distractions that require you to take your eyes off the road
- Manual: Distractions that require you to take your hands off the wheel
- Cognitive: Distractions that take your mind off driving
These categories illustrate the fact that distracted driving doesn’t always look the same. Even mental preoccupation can put you at a higher risk of collision, regardless of your eyes being on the road and both hands on the wheel. While driving can feel like a second-nature activity to someone who does it often, it is never without risks, and always requires vigilance.
Distracted Driving Statistics and Facts
We’ve looked to different traffic and safety agencies and news organizations to compile some of the most illuminating statistics regarding distracted driving below:
- In 2020, 21% of road fatalities involved distraction (Transport Canada)
- The highest percentage of fatal injuries where distraction was a contributing factor was for drivers aged 65 and older (Transport Canada)
- At 88 kilometers per hour, the time it takes to send or read a text is equivalent to driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed (CDC)
- 40% of rear-end collisions involve no brake application whatsoever, indicating the driver’s attention was completed elsewhere leading up to impact (NHTSA)
- One in three teens who text say they have done so while driving (NHTSA)
- Teen drivers are two-and-a-half times more likely to engage in one or more potentially risky behaviors when driving with one teenage peer, compared to when driving alone (NHTSA)
- In 2022, distracted driving broke its seasonal patterns of high in the summer and low in the winter, becoming a constant throughout the entire year (The Zebra)
- Nearly 80% of crashes involve driver inattention within three seconds before the event (FMSCA)
- 60% of road fatalities are due to unintended lane departures, when drivers drift into different lanes unintentionally (NHTSA)
Collision Avoidance Systems
Retrofit collision avoidance systems can help both prevent collisions and improve driver performance through avoiding the pitfalls of distracted driving. The system uses advanced vision, acceleration, and velocity sensors to give the driver another ‘set of eyes’ behind the wheel and alert them to hazards, including:
- Pedestrian and cyclist collision warning
- Lane departure warning
- Headway monitoring and warning
- Forward collision warning
- Speed limit indicator
Collision avoidance systems use a variety of sensors that can detect obstructions in front of a moving vehicle. Depending on the system, it may then issue a warning to the driver or take any number of direct, corrective actions. The technology utilizes a revolutionary approach to artificial intelligence to mimic our own sight and awareness, allowing it to see potential hazards before we do.
Conclusion
There is no question that distracted driving is a risk for a growing number of drivers spending longer hours in their cars. While there is no single solution that can prevent the results of distracted driving 100% of the time, fleet managers must prioritize promoting better driving behaviors through any means possible.
- Learn more about Mobileye in the InsurTech Spotlight.
About Mobileye
Mobileye is a global leader in collision avoidance and computer-vision artificial intelligence. With technology trusted by dozens of OEMs, Mobileye’s safety solutions aim to reduce collisions and improve driver performance for fleets across all industries through real-time, proactive alerts. For more information, visit mobileye.com.
Source: Mobileye
Tags: advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), distracted driving, driving habits, driving safety, InsurTech, InsurTech Spotlight, Mobileye
