Distracted driving: a persistent danger in 2024
Distracted driving remains one of the major causes of road accidents in France in 2024. From cell phones to simple conversations with passengers, these distractions increase the danger on the road. The government regularly organizes various awareness-raising programs, from Road Safety Days at work to interventions in schools. What about you? Do you know what the pitfalls are, how to avoid them, and how to adopt safer driving habits?
Fatigue, chatting, technology… distractions in 5 categories
Distractions behind the wheel manifest themselves in many different ways. Understanding their different types and their implications for everyone’s safety is crucial to avoiding them.
First of all, there are the visual distractions, which involve all the reasons that compel us to take our eyes off the road, whether it’s to look at the landscape, wave to someone on the sidewalk, look in the rear-view mirror or observe an action nearby. On the freeway, where speeds are high, a moment’s inattention can have serious consequences. In urban areas, it increases the risk of not seeing a pedestrian or cyclist crossing the road.
Then there are auditory distractions. These refer to anything we hear that can divert our attention, such as a conversation with a passenger, music or a voice message. They prevent us from perceiving warning sounds, such as an ambulance siren or a car horn. In urban environments, where traffic noise is frequent, missing these auditory signals can lead to serious accidents.
Physical distractions are all the reasons we need to move our bodies so that we are no longer in total control of the vehicle. This includes turning our head to talk to a passenger in the back seat, looking for something in the glove compartment, grabbing objects… These actions can be very dangerous on poor roads or at high speeds, where regaining control of the vehicle becomes more difficult.
As for cognitive distractions, they occur when our mind is elsewhere instead of on the road, when we’re thinking, daydreaming… Even if our eyes are on the road, our mind is elsewhere, and this results in longer reaction times. Cognitive distraction should not be underestimated, as it is less visible, but just as dangerous.
Finally, there’s technological entertainment. These can be anything from reading a text message to adjusting the GPS or making a phone call. Using a cell phone while driving is a real danger. Writing a message at the wheel multiplies the risk of an accident by 23.
The telephone at the wheel, enemy no. 1
Among the most dangerous deviations, cell phone use remains the most significant. This includes reading a message, making a call, consulting social networks or even reading a notification. Other situations include tuning the radio, which requires the driver to divert his or her attention even if only for a few seconds, or consuming food or drink, which requires a free hand, preventing total control of the vehicle. Not to mention the presence of animals, whose presence or agitation can cause unexpected disturbances.
These situations lead to longer braking times due to a delayed reaction to an obstacle, inappropriate trajectories which can lead to swerving off the road, inappropriate speed, forgetting to activate the blinker and sudden braking which increases the risk of collision.
But what if all you had to do was get organized…
There are a number of ways of minimizing distractions at the wheel. First and foremost, it’s a matter of getting organized by anticipating important calls before setting off, and setting the GPS in advance. During the journey, the phone can be switched off, put in “Do not disturb” mode if it’s being used as a GPS, and so on. Or it can simply be left out of reach to avoid temptation. And finally, once on the road, concentration is not easy to maintain, so regular breaks every two hours are a must.
By adopting these practices, drivers can reduce risks and contribute to everyone’s safety.
