The Myth of Multitasking
Distracted driving has evolved into a national epidemic. Throughout the day, millions of drivers across the nation start their cars, get on the road, and use their commute time as an excuse to catch up on important calls, texts, and emails. Our cell phones have become both a symbol and a facilitator of American productivity. This collective obsession with efficiency is tied to our inherent beliefs about the American Dream: if we work hard, we can be successful, happy, and wealthy. Consequently, we’re always multitasking (even when we’re relaxing), downloading productivity hacks, and seeking out entertainment to fill any perceived moments of idleness in our daily schedules.
Although driving is a skill that demands 100% of a driver’s focus and attention, many treat it as a mindless activity. Whether we’re cruising desert roads or trapped on the 405, we can’t help but reach for our little hubs of entertainment and distraction. After all, being bored or idle is not an effective way to utilize our time! But using a cell phone or a hands-free device is incredibly dangerous.
At one point or another, we’ve all felt pressured to type “multitasking” as a skill on our resumes. However, statistically speaking, our brains simply aren’t programmed to multitask as various educators and career bloggers have led us to believe. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, the portion of your brain that’s responsible for processing moving images falters by 33% when you’re having a conversation via a hands-free device. This causes you to miss up to 50% of your surroundings, including work zone signs, merging traffic, red lights, and even pedestrians.
Distracted Driving Awareness Month
In the last ten years, state lawmakers and awareness groups have been struggling to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving. The National Safety Council has even deemed April to be “Distracted Driving Awareness Month.” According to their website, “Every day, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes. Cell phones, dashboard touchscreens, voice commands and other in-vehicle technologies pose a threat to our safety…Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April is a unified effort to recognize the dangers of and eliminate preventable deaths from distracted driving.”
The Life360 Distracted Driving Report 2019
In light of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Life360 recently released its distraction driving report for 2019. This report discusses a very interesting element regarding the prevalence of distracted driving within the context of our cultural narrative. Many people don’t realize that distracted driving is a problem for teenagers and seasoned drivers alike. To complete their report, Life360 analyzed “84 billion miles of driving data and 27 billion distracted drives (as categorized by number of times a user touched their phone while driving.)”
Life360 pulled the following highlights from their research in an effort to educate drivers:
- Distracted drivers are 21x more likely to drive faster than the posted speed limit
- Distracted drivers are 7x more likely brake hard to avoid a collision
- Distracted driving runs in the family, with teens emulating their parents’ behaviors
- Adults and young adults are equally likely to text or use a cell phone while driving
- Morning commuters are more focused on driving than afternoon drivers
- Late night drivers tend to be the most distracted
- Late night drivers check their cell phones once every 10 miles
Injured by a Negligent Driver? Contact Fowler | Helsel | Vogt today
If you or someone you love has been injured by the choices of a distracted driver, contact the Fresno car accident lawyers at Fowler | Helsel | Vogt as soon as possible. Our award-winning legal team has over 40 years of collective experience and has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. By investigating your case and calculating your injury-related expenses, we can develop a litigation strategy that represents your interests and aims to secure a favorable settlement or verdict. If the insurance company refuses to negotiate, we can take your case to court and litigate for the compensation your injuries truly warrant.
Safeguard your quality of life today. Contact Fowler | Helsel | Vogt at (559) 900-1280 to schedule a free consultation. We provide our services on a contingency fee basis, which means that you don’t pay unless we win!