http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060420/distracted_driv
ing_060420/20060420?hub=Health
Inattention causes 8 of 10 road accidents: study
Updated Thu. Apr. 20 2006 4:58 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Drowsiness and distractions like cellphones are responsible for nearly 80
per cent of car crashes, according to a study by the United States
government released Thursday.
Called the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study, the findings were taken from
video footage and sensor monitors that captured the habits of more than 200
drivers.
Researchers for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) reviewed thousands of
hours of video, and found that drivers were commonly distracted within three
seconds of a crash or near-crash.
"It illustrates the potentially dire consequences that can occur while
driving distracted or drowsy," Jacqueline Glassman, acting administrator of
NHTSA, told reporters.
"It's crucial that drivers always be alert when on the road."
Among the group's findings, dialing a number on a cellphone increases the
chance of crashing by almost three times -- about the same as talking on a
cellphone.
Other distractions that lure focus away from the road include eating,
talking, and even getting e-mail, all while sitting in the driver's seat.
"All of these activities are much more dangerous than we thought before,"
said Dr. Charlie Klauer, a senior research associate at the Virginia Tech
Transportation Institute.
"But also we're very concerned about the fact that not only are we drinking
our coffee and we're disciplining our children and we're eating sandwiches
in the car, but the proliferation of technologies in the vehicle have just
exacerbated the amount of time that drivers are distracted."
In total, researchers tracked 241 drivers using 100 cars, in both Virginia
and metropolitan Washington, D.C., for more than one year. During that time,
the drivers were involved in 82 crashes, although only 15 were reported to
police. The number of near-crashes was far higher, at 761.
The 241 drivers travelled about 3-million kilometers, giving the researches
a huge amount of data to sift through and analyze.
"The huge database developed through this breakthrough study is enormously
valuable in helping us to understand -- and prevent -- motor vehicle
crashes," Dr. Tom Dingus, the institute's director, said.
Among distractions, the study found that:
* Drowsiness increased the risk of a crash or near-crash by four to six
times.
* Extended glances away from the road at inopportune moments doubled the
risk of crashing.
* Cellphone use offered the most common distraction for drivers, while
dialing numbers and talking on a cellphone resulted in almost the same
number of crashes and near-crashes.
* Reaching for a moving object increased the chance of crashing by nine
times.
* Reading and applying makeup both increased the risk of crashing by
three times.
With files from The Associated Press
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