McSTREAMY.COM (04/25/2015) – It’s estimated that 26 percent of all car crashes result from cell phone use, including 21 percent that involve talking on a cell phone, handheld or hands-free, according to the National Safety Council. It’s a growing crisis and the stakes are high.
Drivers who talk hands-free can miss seeing up to 50% of their surrounding driving environment even though they are looking right out the windshield. That’s because driving and talking are two tasks that require a great deal of thought.
When doing both, your brain is unable to do either well. Think about trying to follow a television show while talking on the phone. You will miss input from at least one of those sources. While driving, this behavior often results in not seeing traffic signals, which leads directly to crashes, and without the ability to click the rewind button.
Watch what can happen to any driver who talks hands-free in this heart-wrenching PSA from the National Safety Council:
Safety Concerns About New Smart Watch From Apple
The National Safety Council is concerned about the risks of using a smart watch, such as the newly released Apple Watch, while driving. Numerous studies have shown that drivers using cell phones significantly increase their risk of being involved in a crash. Smart watches, which have capabilities similar to smart phones, could be even riskier, according a study conducted in the U.K.
Drivers wearing smart watches can call, text, email and surf the web, but the watch also vibrates when it receives a notification. That vibration could be very difficult to ignore; a natural impulse will be to look at our wrist. This could take a driver’s eyes off the road and mind off the drive – a recipe for disaster.
The Council urges everyone who purchases a smart watch to turn it off or remove it before driving. All calls can kill, and no text, email or social media update is worth a life.
Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.
NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities.
More information about the National Safety Council is available on their website: nsc.org
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