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Saturday, March 28, 2009

Distracted Driving Newspaper Article

Next week's news article, featured in the Smyrna Sun Times in the SHS Eagle Eye section will be all about distracted driving. This week's article was written by our own Melissa Hubert.

Driving With Distractions
by Melissa Hubert
Eagle Eye Staff

Almost everyone is guilty of the Soaring Eagles' driving topic this week. While driving, there are many things that can take your attention from the road. Studies show that distractions are a factor in a quarter of all crashes, equaling more than 4,300 accidents in a day.

The most common distractions include talking on the phone, texting, eating, playing with the radio, talking with passengers, and lacking sleep. These tasks might not seem dangerous, but one second of inattentiveness can be life threatening.

Cell phone usage is the number one cause of distraction among driver. People using cell phones in their car are four times more likely to get in an accident serious enough to be injured. Distractions due to cell phones delay a person's reaction time as much as having a blood alcohol concentration of .08%, the legal limit.

Many people think that they can solve this problem using hands-free devices with their phones. The truth is that the danger is still there because your full attention isn't focused on the road. Driving while having a phone conversation reduces the amount of brain activity used to keep focused on the road by 37%.

Taking you eyes and mind off the road when you're behind the wheel not only endangers your life, but others' as well. It's much safer and easier to complete tasks by simply waiting until you've arrived at our destination, or pulling over to the side of the road. Being responsible and focused while driving will make you a better driver and possibly save your life!

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