Over the past decade, distracted driving has become a familiar phrase, especially among lawmakers and people who study the behavior of motorists. The advent of smartphones contributed to a sharp rise in people not paying enough attention to the road while driving, resulting in accidents. In fact, nearly two-thirds of people surveyed by insurance comparison company The Zebra admitted that they use their phone while driving despite knowing it’s wrong.
While smartphones may have caused a spike in overall distractibility and contributed to an additional accident toll, it’s far from being the only problematic distracted driving habit.
Some of the most common other ways drivers dangerously shift their attention may surprise you. Here are a few of the forms of distracted driving that people admitted to in the Zebra study, and the percentage of the survey group claiming to have done them:
- Reading something – 58%
- Picking their nose – 47%
- Eating a meal – 36%
- Kissing another person – 27%
- Removing or adding clothing – 27%
- Cleaning a surface in the car – 25%
- Using a hair brush – 17.5%
- Applying, touching up or removing makeup – 15%
- Sexual activities – 15%
An even stranger subset of additional distractions were reported:
- Popping a pimple
- Urinating
- Reading a newspaper or book
- Shaving
- Changing a diaper
These behaviors may seem bizarre or unimaginable. However, in a culture with a growing distractibility and emphasis on multi-tasking, it’s no surprise that distracted driving has become such a widespread and prevalent issue.
Distracted driving can land you in hot water. States have different laws governing what counts as an offense and its consequences, but in recent years, the penalties have increased.
If you’ve been injured in a collision with a distracted driver, a qualified attorney can help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Entrusting drivers to look out for one another is no joke, and with today’s crackdown on distraction on the road, it’s easier to hold people accountable.
