The Alarming Epidemic of Distracted Driving 

Imagine driving down the highway, nothing is amiss until, suddenly, a distracted driver hits the passenger side door and in a split second both vehicles have been totaled. This scenario is the harsh reality for many drivers today. In recent years, the rates of distracted driving have gravely increased. According to Krishen et al. (2015), “the number of traffic-related injuries saw a similar increase from 2.22 million in 2011 to 2.36 million in 2012” (p. 2). Driving while distracted is an epidemic in our society that can lead to serious safety problems. Fortunately, there are many things to prevent distracted driving ranging from restricting phone access while driving, limiting passengers, not driving under the influence, and paying close attention to road conditions. 

Being distracted while driving can cause many issues not only for the distracted driver, but also for everyone else on the road. With advances in technology, using mobile devices while driving can cause the driver to be unaware of their surroundings. According to Schnieder et al. (2021), “Driver distraction (e.g., mobile phone use) was associated with an increasing number of pedestrian fatalities between 2005 and 2010” (p. 3). This issue can be solved by implementing hands-free devices. These devices can make it easier to watch the road while still, for example, using GPS, or talking on the phone.  

Furthermore, driving while fatigued is another diversion while driving. “Driving is the most popular choice across employment types and job categories” (Ng, 2017, p. 1). When taking into consideration how many employees drive to their place of work, how long they work, and how long their commute to work is, it can be determined that fatigue is an increasing issue within the working class of drivers. As stated by Yan et al. (2020), “driver fatigue is regarded as one of the most serious reasons that lead to fatal accidents and injuries, causing 15%–20% of all traffic accidents in developed countries” (p. 3). To solve this issue, employers can attempt to make accommodations for their employees. This could be offering transportation for their employees which could give each worker time to rest. Additionally, employees can benefit from finding a job closer to home. This would make commuting time shorter, which would allow for more time to rest.  

Moreover, driving under the influence of substances is another incredibly dangerous distraction. Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs drastically impairs the mind. This abuse of substances can lead to slower reaction time, affect coordination, and it can lead to blurred vision. All these effects increase the chances of the driver causing an accident, which puts the driver, pedestrians, and any other drivers on the road in harm's way. As stated by Schneider et al. (2021), “Approximately 17% of drivers who killed a pedestrian had a blood-alcohol concentration above the legal limit” (p. 3). Even operating a vehicle under the legal blood-alcohol content, which does vary from state to state, is still incredibly dangerous and irresponsible. To eliminate this issue, people under the influence of substances can instead call a cab or order an Uber; these are companies that provide transportation. Another solution is for the potential driver to call a friend or family member. This can help to eliminate the issue of people who have been drinking or using drugs believing that they must drive themselves. 

In addition, driving with passengers in the vehicle can also be a distraction. While it is not as extreme of an issue as the ones previously mentioned, driving with other people in the automobile is a distraction, nonetheless. Yan et al. (2020) found that “the passengers are easier to suffer from severe injuries when the driver is distracted than with a non-distracted driver” (p. 18). Whether the vehicle's passenger is a child, teenager, or adult, they can all cause distractions. A child could be crying, which could cause the driver to take their eyes off the road to attend to them. A teen could be attempting to change the music on the dashboard and the sudden movement could interfere with the driver's focus. An adult could be talking on the phone which would divert the driver's attention. While it is incredibly difficult to remove passengers from the situation, the driver could explain how important it is for them to focus on the road and other vehicles around them. Thoroughly explaining the situation could help prevent not only the driver and passengers from danger, but also all the other vehicles and their passengers.   Finally, driving in harsh conditions can also be a dangerous distraction. Whether it is driving in a construction zone or driving in severe weather, driving in unusual conditions can also be the cause of distraction. According to Yan et al. (2020), “It was found that crashes that occurred in bad weather conditions (e.g. fog or worse) are associated with more severe injuries” (p. 18). Harsh weather such as thunderstorms, fog, and snowstorms make it difficult for drivers to focus on their surroundings as they may be more concerned with the weather. Driving in construction zones is also distracting for the same reason. While it may be difficult to avoid driving in these conditions the driver could plan by watching the weather to avoid any storms or other dangerous weather conditions. Drivers can also plan by finding routes that avoid construction or work zones. Paying extra attention to surroundings is also incredibly important when driving in these conditions. 

To conclude, many factors can contribute to distracted driving and understanding what a catalyst for distracted driving could be is the first step to fixing the problem. Distracted driving not only endangers the driver but also everyone else on the road with them. Mobile phones, fatigue, substances, passengers, and outside conditions all aid in the distraction of the driver. By recognizing these distractions everyone on the road can work together to prevent distracted driving.