top 10 distraction in fatal car crashes in US.. never use your mobile while driving

As you start your vehicle everyday, the foremost concern is a safe drive – cut out all frills, check the vehicle, start, while driving concentrate only on the road – keep everything away…. Most importantly – do not attend to other works while driving, especially, never ‘use your mobile phone while driving’. I have written enough on the ‘cell phone’ menace – of the mindless usage of the phone by people – while driving, walking on road and in public places.

I was on this straight road, and one expects vehicle to go on the proper lane [if at all they have one] – suddenly, a bike swerved from nowhere from a by-lane and the youth carelessly was driving the vehicle on my path… one tends to bang the horn, warning and keeping him away from the path…… but immediately I realized the folly – the familiar sight of ‘bent head closer towards the shoulder’ – holding a phone tucked between the ear and the shoulder, thinking or caring for nothing else and driving….. modern day youth – the calls are so important ~ the lives of other users are not as important – clear message…………

Here is an interesting report in Insurance Journal – of  the more than 65,000 people in the U.S. killed in car crashes over the past two years, one in 10 were in crashes where at least one of the drivers was distracted, according to an analysis by Erie Insurance. The Erie, Penn.-based insurer examined police report data in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a nationwide census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Erie Insurance also consulted with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in its analysis. “Distracted driving is any activity that takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, or your mind off your primary task of driving safely,” said Doug Smith, senior vice president of personal lines at Erie Insurance.

“We looked at what law enforcement officers across the country reported when they filled out reports on fatal crashes and the results were disturbing. We hope the data will encourage people to avoid these high-risk behaviors that needlessly increase their risk of being involved in a fatal crash.” The analysis, which looked at data from 2010 and 2011, showed police listed the majority of drivers who were distracted as “generally distracted” or “lost in thought.” Police also listed several more specific types of distractions.

Below are the top 10 distractions involved in fatal car crashes: 

Rank	Distraction type	%
1	Lost in thought - day dreaming	62
2	Cell phone use - talking, listening, dialling, texting	12
3	Outside person, object or event - rubbernecking	7
4	other occupants - talking with or looking at other people in car	5
5	using or reaching for device - navigational device, headphone	2
6	eating or drinking	2
7	adjusting audio or climate controls	2
8	using other device / controls integral to vehicle - rear view mirrors, seats, navigation system	1
9	moving objects in vehicle such as per or insect	1
10	smoking related - smoking, lighting up, putting ash in tray	1

Erie Insurance says that because FARS data on distraction is based largely on police officers’ judgment at the time of the crash — and also because some people may be reluctant to admit they were distracted when being interviewed by police after a fatal car crash — the numbers are difficult to verify and may, in fact, under-represent the seriousness and prevalence of driving distractions.

The insurer says that the data is meaningful, however, because unlike surveys in which consumers self-report the types of distracted behaviors they engage in, the FARS data is based on actual police reports on fatal crashes.

We all know for sure the mistakes that we do while driving a vehicle, it need not have resulted in any accident ~ for we know that many a times, we do some mistakes, get away freely – and sometimes accidents occur when we are at no fault.

It is better to have the mistakes corrected and ensure that we are not involved in any accident and we do not cause any accident

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

6^th April 2013.

the lines in blue are the comments of yours Truly; the other text sourced from  ~  www.insurancejournal.com.