Your eyes are on the road and your hands are on the wheel. But are you still distracted? Some would say you are. April is “National Distracted Driving Awareness Month”.
Research shows you can be distracted, even when you may think you’re not.
“Most drivers believe, that if their hands are on the wheel and their eyes are on the road, they are focused on the drive. That’s not always necessarily the case.”
That’s Steven Giffel, Field Manager with the Auto Club Group with AAA Michigan. He says research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows potentially unsafe mental distractions can last longer than we think.
“So, after you’ve changed the dial on the radio, sent a text message, looked at your phone for any reason, for up to 27 seconds after a driver uses that voice based technology, they’re distracted. And, again, at 25 miles per hour, you can travel up to 3 football fields and that’s an alarming stat, considering that you’re distracted for 27 seconds, for that long of a time.”
Giffel says AAA recommends: putting your phone down or putting it on airplane mode to avoid disruptions. As part of National Distracted Driving month, they’re also part of a campaign that encourages motorists to evaluate their driving habits and take a pledge to stay focused on the road and limit cell phone use. Giffel adds there’s a mobile app that can help as well. You can find more at AAA. Com.
