Many MA drivers have relaxed attitudes towards distracted driving

A report revealed that many drivers know that using their cellphone while driving is dangerous, but continue to become distracted by these devices anyway.

Distracted driving is a serious problem that injures and kills many on the roads in Massachusetts and throughout the country every day. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,153 people are injured and more than nine people are killed on a daily basis in car accidents involving driver distraction. Although many drivers in Massachusetts recognize that using their cellphone behind the wheel is dangerous, many continue to use these devices while driving anyway.

Massachusetts drivers recognize the risks of distraction

Recently, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released their annual nationwide Traffic Safety Culture Index. The main purpose of this report was to assess the behaviors and attitudes of drivers related to speeding, running red lights and cellphone use. As part of this study, 350 drivers from Massachusetts were surveyed.

This report revealed that approximately 97 percent of the participants from Massachusetts believe that texting and driving is wrong. However, 28 percent of the participants reported that they had texted behind the wheel during the previous 30 days. This report also discovered that 60 percent of the Massachusetts drivers who participated believe it’s unsafe to talk on a handheld cellphone and drive. Despite this consensus, 78 percent of the respondents admitted that they had talked on a cellphone and driven a vehicle simultaneously in the past 30 days.

Driver distraction isn’t limited to cellphone use

Although cellphone use is a primary source of distraction for drivers, there are other types of distraction that endanger the lives of others. According to Distraction.gov, distracted driving involves any activity that takes a driver’s full attention away from driving. For example, those operating a vehicle can turn into distracted drivers when they:

• Talk to other people who are with them in the vehicle
• Attempt to shave, put on makeup or do their hair while their car is in motion
• Use a navigation system to acquire directions to their destination
• Drink coffee or eat their breakfast while they are driving to work
• Switch the station on the radio
• Watch a video using an electronic device