Posted on 04/21/2006 9:09:06 AM PDT by MooseMan
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Distractions for drivers are everywhere these days with the explosion of new technologies.
They talk on their cellphones, check e-mail or send text messages; get directions from their GPS system; or change stations on satellite radio. Don't forget the age-old distractions of eating, drinking, talking and grooming.
Turns out there can be a high cost.
A study released Thursday by the government found that nearly eight of 10 collisions or near-crashes involved a lack of attention from drivers in the moments before impact.
Researchers reviewed the thousands of hours of video and data from sensor monitors linked to more than 200 drivers, and pinpointed examples of what keeps drivers from paying close attention to the road.
"We see people on the roadways talking on the phone, checking their stocks, checking scores, fussing with their MP3 players, reading e-mails, all while driving 40, 50, 60, 70 miles per hour and sometimes even faster," said Jacqueline Glassman, acting administrator of the government's highway safety agency.
A driver's reaching for a moving object increased the risk of a crash or potential collision by nine times, according to researchers at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
Researchers found that the risk of a crash increases almost threefold when a driver is dialing a cellphone.
Researchers said the report showed the first links between crash risks and a driver's activities, from eating and talking to receiving e-mail.
"All of these activities are much more dangerous than we thought before," said Dr. Charlie Klauer, a senior research associate at the institute. Data from police reports had estimated driver inattention was a factor in about 25 percent of crashes.
For many drivers, the research offered more proof of what they see on their daily commutes.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Who knew?
Where do I sign up to do one of these "duh!" studies.
In related news, drunk people do stupid things.
I'm so poor I can't even pay attention..........
If I had a grant, I could flesh this out some more ...
Remember to pull to the side of the road before Zotting!..........
Ban all radios, CDs, DVDs, phones, food, drink, Nav systems, PDAs, (or any other electronic devices), and any in dash instruments (takes eyes off the road). Make all cars hybrid automatics with only heads-up displays, auto climate control (no controls), 5 point racing harnesses, and auto engine shutoffs should the driver attempt to drive for more than 8 hours in any 24 hour period or over any posted speed limit.
/sarc.
During my commute I take note of people doing things other than driving when they are behind the wheel. 9 times out of 10 when I see someone not maintaining their lane, driving well below the speed limit or just doing something stupid in general behind the wheel they're on a cell phone, the others are eating, reading (yes, reading),putting on make-up or messing w/ the stereo.
I keep my head on a swivel around here, never know when the next idiot not paying attention is going to cross into your lane, not look up when you're on the brakes or whatever. I'd feel safer in the Daytona 500 on a ten-speed sometimes.
I personally keep my car above 9/10ths full. You never know when you may need it and cannot get it or don't have the time to get it. So I fill up on the way home every time from work.
Also it is cheaper on the wallet. As the price of gas keeps going up, the stuff in my tank pretty much always cost less that the current prices.
Huunh?
My dad's old pickup had a broken gas gage (worked for the first 10 miles) and dual tanks. You had to drive till it sputtered on the frist tank and then flip a switch to switch over to the second tank. Then you had to watch and check the milage and be ready to gas up early.
My favorite not paying attention while driving story is when I was driving down the Santa Monica Freeway in LA and saw a guy pass me driving while shaving or shaving while driving complete with foam on his face and a little yellow Bic razor. I almost drove off the road laughing.
Agreed. However, currently, I fill up every single time I leave work.
Looked tasty...
The cheapest way I find is to watch gasbuddy.com and the futures market. A good rule of thumb in most places (check your state's taxes and adjust appropriately) is to add $.60 to the futures price. If the price at the pump is well below that, I fill up. If somewhat below, I put a couple gallons in. If its above, I try to hold off as long as possible. Locally, we average about that $.60 over the long term, so this strategy has me filling at below average prices, and will account for falling markets, as the "buy" threshold keeps changing. Naturally I sometimes miss the absolute bottom of a cycle, but normally this strategy works.
Naturally, you can only use this if you're filling up every other week or so, so that you have the option of holding off on gas purchases, and on rare occasions you do have to buy above the $.60 threshold just to keep the car running. :)
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