Prevention of distracted driving must be a concern for all motorists traveling in and around Encino. This entails knowing which behaviors fall into this dangerous category, as well as the ramifications of driving while distracted. While accidents can’t always be prevented, it’s up to each driver to do his or her part to ensure others remain safe on the road.
According to EndDD.com, many motorists don’t fully comprehend just how serious distracted driving can be. There are three different types of distracted driving behaviors, each of which can negatively impact one’s ability to maneuver a vehicle in a safe and reasonable manner. When drivers take their eyes off the road, even momentarily, this is considered a visual distraction. This can be a matter of looking away to change the radio station, or even use a GPS.
Drivers can also be distracted mentally, which entails letting their minds drift away from the task at hand or daydreaming. Removing one’s hands from the wheel is a classed as a manual distraction, such as when using a mobile device. Use of mobile devices or smart phones while driving is perhaps the riskiest behavior, as this combines all three types of dangerous driving behaviors into one activity.
To understand the real threat of driving while distracted, one only needs to look at recent statistics regarding the issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that every day it’s estimated that up to 660,000 motorists are actively using mobile devices behind the wheel. To this end, 391,000 injuries and 3,477 deaths were linked to distracted driving behaviors in 2015. Younger drivers are particularly at risk, with teens being the most affected by distracted driving fatalities.
