We’ve all been there, even the most responsible drivers among us: Taking our eyes off the road for just a split second to adjust the radio, to double check our GPS, to talk to other passengers, to check our hair or makeup, or to grab that sandwich tempting us from our bag. And let’s not forget about talking on the phone, checking – or even sending – text messages while driving. Sound familiar?
These activities lead to distracted driving, which the U.S. Department of Transportation defines as “any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.”
Seems obvious, right? But sometimes even the obvious gets overshadowed by our busy, hectic lives – to disastrous effect. In 2014, 3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
Unless you live in a bubble, it’s impossible not to notice that smartphone ownership keeps growing. The more drivers that have smartphones, and the more technological options these gadgets offer us, the more distractions we have when get behind the wheel. Music? Waze? Texts? The latest news headlines? These distractions are all one glance and reach away, which could be the difference between getting to our destination safely and having a car accident. In fact, new research shows that 7 out of 10 people use their smartphones while driving.
While texting and email are still the most prevalent smartphone-related driver distractions, can you guess what’s posing the next biggest danger? If you guessed social media, you’re right! In fact, 4 out of 10 smartphone users engage with social media via their phones while driving. Almost 3 out of 10 drivers surf the internet, and 1 out of 10 engage in video chat. Perhaps our constant need to be – and stay – digitally connected needs to take a backseat to driving.
It’s no wonder then that this ever-growing life-endangering phenomenon of distracted driving has spurred a national movement in the United States. Over recent years, the U.S. government as well as a number of organizations and groups have joined together to raise public awareness about the dangers of driving while distracted. They’ve created campaigns aimed at combating and preventing fatal car accidents caused by distracted drivers. They also provide resources to help parents teach their of-driving-age kids about the consequences of being distracted behind the wheel. More importantly, they encourage states to adopt and uphold laws that ban texting and/or handheld cellphone use while driving.
Five years ago, AT&T also joined the bandwagon for educating people about the importance of staying focused while driving with its “It Can Wait” campaign. Teaming up with Twitter, it has since has increased drivers’ awareness specifically about the dangers of cell phone use while driving. So far, more than 6 million people have pledged to no longer text and drive.
The common message in all of these campaigns is that road safety starts with each of us. It’s a conscious decision to not let ourselves get distracted while driving. Just as putting on our seatbelt is instinctive, so should be putting away our smartphones – and any other temptation that may distract us while driving.
To that effect, HearMeOut has been working hard on developing its technology, which allows users to connect to their social feeds completely hands-free while on the go. Plus, we are currently working with top car manufacturers to implement our platform as part of the multimedia systems in various vehicles. Stay tuned to see how else our efforts are helping to combat distracted driving.
How do you keep yourself from getting distracted while driving? Share your ideas with us in a HearMeOut post!