Many of us spend a tremendous amount of time in our cars these days. In Bay County alone, there are more than 140,000 licensed drivers on the road ranging in ages from 15 to 90+. The increased flow of traffic on Highway 77 in Lynn Haven has been the focus of a recent news story to find a solution hoping to decrease the number of fatalities in this area. Our desire to get back and forth to work, make that appointment on time, or run the barrage of errands we need to accomplish on lunch breaks often lead to multi-tasking while driving. This can put not only you but also the drivers around you in a very dangerous situation.
Texting, making phone calls, or eating your lunch while driving take your focus from the roadway to whatever task it is you are doing. A 2008 study done by the Florida Dept of Highway Safety on distracted drivers determined that drivers were 4 times more likely to be involved in an accident when they were multi-tasking while driving.
The number of cell phone users has increased over the years in record numbers. In fact, many families have actually eliminated their home "landline" in exchange for each family member having their own cell phone. The need to be connected at all times has resulted in an increased number of drivers diverting their attention from simply driving their car to operating a mini-office in their vehicle.
To reduce your risk of getting into an accident as a result of road distractions, avoid the most common tasks that have statistically resulted in an accident.