by Jorg Mardian

Created on: May 03, 2007   Last Updated: May 15, 2007

Distracted Driving: Our National Pastime

One of the great unreported traffic safety problems facing Canadians today is distracted driving. The most recent data available concludes that 8 out of every 10 collisions are caused by this problem. And what's worse, without adequate information and awareness, it will continue to increase and needlessly risk the lives of many Canadians, points out the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA).

So what's causing us to be so distracted? We're a busy society and to a great extend, we have condoned multitasking while driving. We reach for our coffee, turn the station on the radio, discipline our children, and even shave or apply make-up on the road. And now, newer in-vehicle technologies such as mobile office, laptop computers, palm pilots or in-vehicle navigation systems only add to the way drivers adjust their behaviour while on the road.

Our favourite distraction seems to be the cell phone though. Supporters cite them as important safety aids helpful in reporting crimes, collisions or for personal safety while public safety advocates say they're just another hazard, and believe stricter laws would improve road safety.

Though not the most serious diversion in a car, they've been singled out for legislation and enforcement, due to high visibility. Experts fear turning cars into traveling phone booths can take attention off the road at a critical time, resulting in accidents.

A cellular phone in your vehicle can be an important safety aid for drivers, but it should not be a distraction. You'll survive a missed phone call; you might not survive a collision Transport Canada

Hands free phones no better

The fact that cell phones distract drivers is nothing new; many studies point to this problem. But now government, university and insurance company research proves that speech based and hands free devices, often operated with the assumption they are safer, sidetracked drivers equally.

An article originally published in the August/September 2001 issue of the "Injury Insights' newsletter revealed that those engaged in phone conversations, whether hand held or hands free, missed twice as many simulated traffic signals as when not talking on the cell phone. And they took longer to react to signals they did detect.

This suggests that the price we pay for trying to listen to a conversation in the car comes at the expense of our ability to see clearly. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore verified this by studying brain

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