Dangers of Distracted Driving
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) driver distractions are the leading cause of most vehicle crashes and near-crashes.
In 2008 5,870 people lost their lives and an estimated 515,000 people were injured in police reported crashes in which one form of driver distraction was reported. A study released by NHTSA and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), stated that 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes involve some form of driver distraction. The distraction occurred within three seconds before the vehicle crash!
This App explains the dynamics of distracted driving, and through case studies, offers lessons learned.
The app is separated into 5 sections.
The Basics of Distracted Driving
The NHTSA definition of a distracted driver is an individual who is not paying attention to driving tasks. It could be text messaging, talking on the phone, or simply looking at the person in the passenger seat as he is driving. No matter what the cause, the driver takes their eyes off the road and is not looking where he is going. When he returns his eyes to the road and sees an accident-producing scenario in front of him, he doesn’t have an hour to react and the space won’t be measured in miles. He has mere feet and seconds to get out of the “Kill Zone.” The App explains the “Kill Zone Concept.”
Use of the Kill Zone Theory
Now that we understand the concept of the Kill Zone, it is much easier to explain the danger of distracted drivers. The scenario is you are driving at 40 mph (or 60 fps) and you get a simple and relatively short text message that takes about three seconds to read.
Just as you took your eyes off the road to read the text message, a traffic light 300 feet away (the length of a football field) changed from green to yellow. What is about to happen could be a life-changing experience. The App will break down this scenario and develop a lessons learned.
Following-Distance Scenario
Combining distracted driving and following too closely is an accident producing situation. But, how close is too close? In this scenario you are traveling along a road 85 feet behind another vehicle; both vehicles approach an intersection. You are not looking at the road as the traffic light changes to yellow. It takes one second before you notice the car in front of you is stopping and you start to react. Anyone who has driven for any length of time has experienced this scenario. The App will break down this scenario and develop a lessons learned.
The Reaction Time Process
One of the major reasons that drivers, especially younger drivers, get into trouble is overdependence on reaction time. The App covers the factors that affect reaction time and develops lessons learned.
Over Driving Your Headlights
It is easy enough to over-drive your headlights, even when you are paying attention. But combine a distracted driver with nighttime driving conditions and you have a disaster waiting to happen. The App again uses the case scenario method to illustrate the dangers of combating distracted driving. The App will introduce you to the Black Hole Test.