Understanding Distracted Driving
In our day and age, people may think that impaired driving only includes the use of alcohol or other substances and that distracted driving is acceptable because they are not impaired by substances. However, distracted driving is one of the most dangerous types of impaired driving. In fact, in 2023 alone, there were 3,275 people killed in accidents that involved distracted driving. If you need help with a personal injury claim, our Grand Prairie, TX car accident lawyer is here to help.
Contrary to belief, distracted driving isn’t only driving while texting or calling on the phone. Distracted driving includes anything that takes the attention of the driver away from safe driving. Some examples of distracted driving include talking to passengers in the car, adjusting the stereo, eating, drinking, cleaning, observing the scenery, etc. However, all of these examples can be as dangerous as texting and driving. Texting and driving is still the leading cause of most distracted driving accidents.
The Danger Of Texting And Driving
Texting can take your full attention off the road for sometimes as long as five seconds or more. Those five seconds could be the difference between safely arriving at your destination and arriving at a hospital in an ambulance. To put it in perspective, if you are distracted for five seconds going at a speed of 55 miles per hour, in that time you would have traveled approximately the length of a football field. This analogy represents the amount of space that would go unaccounted for if driving distracted. Before proceeding to do anything that you may think would be considered distracted driving, ask yourself if there is a football field or more empty space in front or all around you.
Prevention Through Mindset And Practice
Now, whether or not you have been guilty of distracted driving (most people are), there are several measures of prevention. These are practices in your general life focusing on one task at a time, whether for work or in your free time. This will begin a mindset that focuses on one task until it is finished.
Next would be to practice, when you are driving, putting away or finishing what you think may distract you. I understand that for most of us we do not have an abundance of time in the day and sometimes we need to multitask. This may include, when driving, taking a phone call or eating a meal that may have been missed. All of this considered, the ten minutes that it takes you to take that phone call or eat could end up costing you your life.
Now it is time for you to decide what is more cost-effective in your life: ten minutes to eat or take a phone call, or many hours or days in a hospital, or even your life lost on the road. Taking ten minutes out of your day is not a monumental difference and is one hundred percent worth it if you arrive safely at your destination. After all, if you are running late for a meeting, school, work, or wherever you are going, you can be five minutes late. Five minutes may seem like a lot during that time, but in the grand scheme of things, your life is worth more than a few extra minutes saved.
High-Risk Groups: Teens
In the mindset of prevention, let’s examine the different types of groups that have the highest risk in this area and the highest influence on practice or prevention. Teens are among the most guilty of distracted driving due to their susceptibility to distractions. In the case of teens, this may not seem like the most popular or cool thing to do, but if they encounter their friends in the act of distracted driving, they need to tell them to focus on the task at hand: getting to the destination safely.
Again, this may not be the coolest thing to do in the eyes of their friends and peers; however, when you get to the destination in your own vehicle and not an ambulance or a hearse, they will be in your debt. The next aspect that is prudent for teens to prevent distracted driving would be posting on social media against distracted driving. Once the risks are understood, the narrative will be shifted; instead of not being cool to preach this to your guilty friends, it will become cool to do so. All changes such as this begin in a similar fashion: starting out as what is viewed as uncool and unimportant shifts to normal and vital.
High-Impact Influencers: Parents
The next group, and arguably the most important and influential, would be parents. Parents have the opportunity to shape the future of safe drivers. Young teens and even young adults take greatly after the norms of their parents. This is why it is vital that parents practice safe driving and stay away from distracted driving. If a child sees their parents calling, eating, or generally being distracted while driving, they will most likely see this as acceptable driving habits.
Instead of assisting in prevention, the parent becomes the source of the problem. The parent must understand that mastering the practice of safe driving is also their children mastering this skill and potentially their children thereafter. Parents must understand the power of their influence, both in life and in practicing safe driving.
The Importance Of Taking Distracted Driving Seriously
Distracted driving is an extremely serious issue, and if left unchecked, can lead to many injuries and even lost lives. It is important to practice safe driving and realize the importance of every second on the road. It is also our duty to teach those around us to do so as well, no matter how painful or seemingly embarrassing it may be.
All of this considered, take your driving safely seriously and set an example for your peers and your future.
If you are in the unfortunate situation of needing help with a car accident injury claim, Brandy Austin Law Firm is here for you. We offer free consultations and have 24/7 live answering. Reach out to us anytime of the day or night, 365 days a year.
References
Distracted Driving Dangers and Statistics. (n.d.). NHTSA. Retrieved September 8, 2025, from https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving