Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of road accidents in Canada. Many people believe that using a cell phone or other electronic devices is safe, but many risks are involved. Any time you take your eyes off the road for long periods, you risk being involved in a crash. It’s important to understand how distracted driving affects everyone, no matter what driver you are.
Here we will discuss some important facts about this dangerous behavior and common myths and statistics about it.
Facts:
The most commonly reported distraction is talking on a cell phone. It is also possible to be distracted by other things like eating or grooming. Being distracted while driving is dangerous because it takes your eyes off the road and keeps them off the road for extended periods. This can cause you to miss a turn or stop sign, resulting in an accident.
Distracted driving accidents have become more common because more people use mobile phones while driving instead of using them in their free time, at home, or work. This behavior occurs regularly and has become second nature for many drivers.
If you want to prevent yourself from getting into an accident while driving, you must understand how distracted driving affects everyone. It is important to teach yourself about the dangers of this behavior and decide how you can prevent yourself from becoming a distracted driver.
Myth:
Distracted driving is just an issue for young drivers. Young people are indeed more likely to get into car accidents and be involved in distracted driving than older drivers. However, it is not true that this behavior only occurs with younger drivers. Older drivers can also be involved in distracted driving, although they may not realize it as often as younger people.
Talking to someone on the phone is the same as talking to someone in the car. This is false because it is dangerous to talk on the phone while driving as it may take up your concentration. This is especially true if you are talking on the phone and swerving or changing lanes. You can be in a car accident because you are distracted by your conversation with someone else.
Statistics:
According to Transport Canada’s National Collision Database, distracted driving is among the leading cause of car accidents in Canada. In the 2020s, statistics showed 7,328 deaths due to distracted driving. This means that every day there are over 20 people who die because they were distracted while driving.
Distracted driving is also the main reason for injury crashes and has a high rate of causing fatal car accidents. According to Statistics Canada, distracted driving was responsible for 11,921 injury crashes in 2019. This number is expected to rise to 15,716 in 2023.
This number is even higher because many of these deaths and injuries are caused by non-impaired drivers talking on the phone or texting while driving. It is estimated that approximately 60% of all car accidents involve at least one driver who was not paying enough attention to the road at the time of the accident.