How Common is Distracted Driving? Study - Video

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/distracted-driving-study/

Source: Digitaltrend.com. Article by Lulu Chang 3-27-'16

The hazards of distracted driving. Have you ever wondered how many people aren't watching the road while driving? This video/study shows how many distracted drivers we're sharing the road with. Nearly nine percent!

"With the advent of smartphones, multitasking while behind the wheel has become all too common, and indeed, all too dangerous. Everyone promises that they're not part of the problem - that they would never text and drive - that may not be all that true."

"To study what driving in the 21st century looks like, Agency SR22 filmed 20 minutes of rush hour trafffic on South Florida's Interstate 95. Of the 2,151 cars they filmed, 185 were driven by distracted drivers. Over 8 percent, an alarming statistic!"

If drivers think it's okay to drive distracted on a busy highway, just imagine how much more is done on slower roads everyday in cities.

If this is true, riding safely might not be good enough.

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Permalink Reply by Matt on April 21, 2016 at 1:47am

Thanks for posting this. I'm sure many here can relate to this, but I ride pretty busy streets that often have plenty of rush hour traffic. Without even looking for it, I see so many drivers using their phones. It's extremely unnerving. I try to stay as alert as possible while riding, but the thought that there might be someone behind me completely distracted that I can't see, that's my biggest fear.

I was a passenger in an accident where we were sitting in a left turn lane at a light, and we got rear ended by someone going full speed (speed limit I think was 45). She was in a tizzy, and literally said "I must have dozed off." My gut says she was on her phone, and that was her attempt to hide it, but it really doesn't matter. If I were on my bike in the exact same spot, and she swerved right instead of left, I'd be dead.

I've heard it plenty that texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving. There is evidence to actually back that claim up (like here andhere). Yet the fine for using your phone is just $75. Obviously that's not stopping anyone. If it truly is as bad as, or worse than, drunk driving then the penalties for each should be a bit closer I'd think.

Could you imagine how much of an affect it would have (not to mention the cash grab possibility) if Chicago were a national trendsetter and jacked up those fines to like $250 for first time offenders? Then send a few plain clothes cops out on bikes riding around looking for them and issuing the tickets. I see a handful or two every single ride home, and again I'm not even looking. Something like that would actually legitimately make the streets safer. I wonder how much the Trib would hate that...

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Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on April 21, 2016 at 2:24am

I think that's a great idea. Proven dangerous. $75 isn't enough. Here's a stat I found on texting, "The United States Department of Transportation notes that cell phones are involved in 1.6 million auto crashes each year that cause a half million injuries and take 6,000 lives."

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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on April 28, 2016 at 6:48pm

You are totally correct. But, I have to say, I see cyclists talking on cell phones and, yes, texting, all the time. I guess the difference is that they're endangering themselves way more than others. Still....

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Permalink Reply by Matt on April 29, 2016 at 2:44am

What's your point? I see it plenty as well, and I hate it. I also don't think people should ride with headphones on, but the fact is that these behaviors will not kill literally thousands of people every year. The penalty should fit the crime. Driving while texting can kill someone, so any fine should be in accordance with that. Lawmakers apparently think that amount is $75.

It's why I scoff every time someone brings it up that cyclists should be licensed and/or ticketed more. I'd be all for it, honestly, if there were any actual priority on improving the overall safety on the roads first. Distracted driving is a danger to everyone on (or even near) the road, not just us lowly cyclists.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy on December 8, 2016 at 8:44am

How about if all ticket revenue brought in goes only to the police pension fund deficit? All violations need to be filmed by a helmet camera to be valid.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on April 21, 2016 at 9:07am

The facts from this study speak for themself. I am not 'just another cyclist' attempting to 'scapegoat' the motoring community. The facts reveal an alarming statistic in distracted driving from motorists that are a hazard to all. This behavior, without any effective penalty upon distracted drivers would only perpetuate even more of these activities. Of course, my focus is on the concerns of the cycling community. That is OUR purpose here, just as it is at any other supporting community attempting to inform and protect themselves from threats to their safety. I have never been deluded to believe that any community consists of 'flawless' human beings. No one is perfect or more correct in their lives. Life tries to put us in a curve for learning, some of us (humans) never get it.

Until something tragic happens . . . as it always does in life . . . again and again.

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on April 28, 2016 at 3:29pm

http://time.com/4310745/textalyzer-new-york/

Good article from Time.com by Julia Zorthian. 4-28-'16

"The 'Textalyzer' could help curb distracted driving in New York."

This could be helpful in Chicago.

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Permalink Reply by Gopher Biker on April 29, 2016 at 2:26am

There was a recent enforcement effort in Minnesota - StarTribune report here: http://www.startribune.com/police-cite-972-drivers-for-texting-duri...

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Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on December 8, 2016 at 7:01am

12-8-16 Interesting article about distracted driving and racing thru yellow lights.

It poses the question, "Have we become racing rats?

http://touch.redeyechicago.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-92034419/

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Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on December 8, 2016 at 9:22am

I think distracted driving is one of the greatest dangers cyclists (and other drivers) face out there these days. I would implement a minimum $250.00 fine for a first on-the-phone offense, with a steeply escalating fine for each subsequent offense. For texting, I would explore the possibility of the police simply seizing the phone of the offender, as with vehicles involved in drug transactions, and put the burden on the offender to get it back. Taking somebody's phone away these days would really, really get their attention. Once word got around that the police were seizing phones, I think behavior would be modified.