As we prepare to head back to work at the start of the New Year, making some resolutions can be a good start to 2011. We urge you to make tackling the risk of multitasking part of the equation.
Multitasking and driving are not a good combination. Most drivers are guilty of it and attempt to justify why they think it is doable. Long commutes offer an urge to squeeze in some extra tasks while driving which is just too tempting to pass up. New York accident attorneys want to remind you that multitasking should be done at home or work, not in your vehicle.
A Nationwide Insurance survey wanted to know what task’s motorists were doing while driving. Drivers found to be searching for music (82%), drinking a beverage (80%), talking on the phone (73%) and eating (68%) were most common. Other tasks may include grooming, holding a pet in their lap, reading, or yelling at their kids in the back seat. Though these common tasks that we all perform in a car may not seem like multitasking, they take away your full attention from the road and driving.
Respondents by an overwhelming margin wanted some kind of ban on cell phone usage while driving including texting and emailing. Two thirds of those polled also wanted talking on a cell phone banned. Four out of ten drivers admitted to being hit or almost being hit by a driver distracted by their cell phone.
With the techno savvy generation Y, multitasking while driving won’t be slowing down. Only 2% of baby boomers use their cell phones while driving compared to 17% of generation X and 37% of generation Y. However, New York law prohibits all drivers from using handheld cell phones and texting while driving so there could be a consequence if caught performing these tasks on the road.
The Post Standard – Syracuse reported on a distracted bus driver back in September. The bus driver was looking at his GPS when the double decker bus crashed into a bridge. The crash killed 4 people and injured numerous others.
Syracuse will be one of two cities piloting a high visibility enforcement model for distracted driving. According to the government’s distracted driving website the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will launch a distracted driving advertising campaign similar to its Click It or Ticket message promoting seat belt use.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2008 almost 6,000 people died from distracted drivers and half a million were injured. There has been a 3% rise in the amount of drivers that were distracted at the time of a fatal crash since 2004.
You may think multitasking in your vehicle saves time but saving a life is something you will never regret.
The Law Offices of Nicholas Rose are available to assist you if you have been involved in a New York car accident. Call 718-261-0549 for a free consultation.
