Smartphones and Distracted Driving

The invention of the smartphone has allowed us to be in constant contact with one another. They allow us to have unlimited access to the internet, entertainment, and games. Unfortunately, they’ve also became a major distraction to people of all ages, genders and backgrounds while driving.

A Threat to Our Driving Safety:

At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving.
10 percent of fatal crashes, 18 percent of injury crashes and 16 percent of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2014 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.
In 2014, 3,179 people were killed and an estimated 431,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
Each day in the United States, at least nine people are killed and more than 1000 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.

Common Distractions While Driving:

Each of these is a common distraction to people while operating a vehicle. Of these distractions, texting is by far the most common distraction. Texting requires significant visual, manual and cognitive focus from the driver, all three being things a driver needs to drive safely.

Texting
Using a cell phone or smartphone
Reaching for something
Daydreaming
Eating and drinking
Talking to passengers
Reading, including maps and navigation system
Watching a video
Adjusting a radio, CD player or other controls in a vehicle

Smartphone Solutions:

Smartphones can actually provide us some benefit when attempting to curb distracted driving. There are actually several distracted driving apps that can help keep you focused on the road, and not your smartphone. These apps provide anything from blocking text messages, blocking calls, tracking safe miles driven, rewards for safe driving, and for parents, can even send parent notifications on their children’s driving. Four apps that can provide these measures: