The dangers of distracted driving

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jeff Nelson
  • 354th Fighter Wing Safety
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  It is late afternoon and you are on your way home from work. Your cell phone's text message alert just sounded but it is in the pocket of your jacket, underneath your gym bag which is located over on the passenger seat. Now you find yourself fumbling around trying to find your phone in case you need to stop by the grocery store prior to arriving home.

Does this scenario sound all too familiar? Distracted driving is the loss of vision on the road, manually taking your hands off the wheel or taking your mind off of driving. Distracted driving puts you at four times the risk to cause an accident and is a common occurrence even if it is accidental (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). Now the key to countering it is to recognize you are distracted and correct it.

Personal motor vehicle accidents have accounted for greater than 75 percent of Air Force fatalities in 3 of the last 4 years according to the Air Force Safety Center. The U.S. Department of Transportation sights distracted driving as one of the biggest culprits accounting for at least 20 percent of U.S. domestic injury crashes for 2009.

The dangers of drunk driving are widely known, but somehow some motorists see distracted driving or texting while driving as an acceptable risk. On our roads, it is a common occurrence to see people looking down, eyes off the road while driving using some sort of screened device. Motor vehicle laws vary by state, but in Alaska operating a screened device is prohibited by Alaska State Code section 28.35.161. It is a misdemeanor and the offense can become a felony if you injure or kill a bystander due to your reckless driving.

From the time we arrive at our new base, Airmen are briefed continuously through supervisors, senior leadership, safety days, and every time we drive out the front gate of how dangerous drinking and driving can be to everyone. Meanwhile, distracted driving is just as dangerous yet talked about much less. Next time you hear, see, read or plan to brief your co-workers about the dangers of drinking and driving remember that distracted driving is just as deadly.