Distraction While Operating an Automobile - Essay Example

According to a study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes involve some form of driver distraction. The distraction occurred within three seconds before the vehicle crash! Some of these distractions according to the study conducted by the NHTSA and VTTI are the use of mobiles, trying to grasp a moving object within the vehicle, glancing at an object or incident taking place outside the vehicle, putting on make-up, and reading.

Recent studies have shown that nowadays, especially when cell phones have become the order of the day, the level of distraction is much higher and the level of performance has lowered drastically, thus raising the risk of more accidents. On July 1st, 2008, a new law involving mobile phones came into existence in certain places (California) which allowed drivers over the age of 18 to make use of hands-free devices while driving their vehicle, while those under 18 were banned from using a hands-free device.

Therefore, the driving scenario these days is not very safe these days and needs more caution to ensure the safety not only of the driver but the other inmates in the car and the general pedestrian public on the roads. Safety must be the Buzzword or the Motto of all drivers on the road because life once lost cannot be regained again.