April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

In 2022, distracted driving killed 3,308 people. April is Distracted Driving Awareness month. Here, at Craig, Kelley & Faultless, we encourage drivers to stop trying to multitask with cell phones while driving, and to instead focus on the road ahead. Distracted driving is unbelievably dangerous. This April, we’re asking drivers to take the pledge to drive phone-free always. Share with your family and friends to make sure they know the dangers of trying to multitask on the road.

Our personal injury firm, Craig, Kelley & Faultless has driving simulation machines that we use to educate people about the dangers of using cell phones while driving. Most people who use our machines are confident that they can multitask. The reason is that they do it in their cars and haven’t wrecked. However, they have just been lucky that no one has walked or stopped in their path. The driving simulation machines show that they can’t make it through the course when they encounter one of these situations.

Craig, Kelley & Faultless’ Driving Simulation Machines

Our Brains Don’t Have the Resources to Multitask Effectively

Despite the belief that drivers can effectively juggle multiple tasks behind the wheel, the human brain is not designed to perform two mentally complex activities simultaneously. While activities like walking and chewing gum might appear manageable together, driving demands heightened cognitive focus and split-second decision-making. While it might seem feasible to engage in a conversation or glance at a phone while behind the wheel, the reality is that the brain struggles to allocate its resources effectively in such situations. Each moment on the road presents potential hazards requiring swift reactions to avoid accidents. There is no safe way to multitask on the road.

Only Very Few Can Successfully Multitask

Research from the University of Utah underscores the brain’s limitations in multitasking, revealing that 98% of individuals experience diminished performance when attempting to engage in two mentally demanding tasks simultaneously. Only a small fraction, approximately 2% of the population, possess the rare ability to multitask without significant performance decline. For the majority, attempting to divide attention between driving and other activities results in a slower reaction time and compromised driving ability. The more distracted a driver becomes in an attempt to multitask, the greater the risk of causing a serious accident on the road.

Perceiving Isn’t Believing

Task switching can give the illusion of effective multitasking, but in reality, it leads to decreased performance, especially while driving. Many drivers engaged in conversations on their cell phones mistakenly perceive themselves as capable of maintaining focus on both the conversation and the road simultaneously. They may even view this as a productive use of time, avoiding the inconvenience of pulling over to take a call. However, research indicates that cognitive distraction from phone conversations significantly impairs driving performance, compromising the driver’s ability to detect hazards, maintain proper lane position, and respond promptly to changes in traffic conditions.

Risks Increase the Longer a Driver Uses their Phone

Many drivers fail to recognize the extent of their distraction while talking on the phone, mistakenly believing they can effectively divide their attention between driving and conversing. This false sense of security can lead to risky behavior on the road, as drivers may underestimate the impact of cognitive distraction on their driving abilities. While other distractions, such as momentarily reaching for an object or adjusting the radio, may pose immediate risks, prolonged cognitive distractions like phone conversations present a more significant danger due to a driver’s phone conversations lasting minutes or even hours. Studies have shown that individuals who frequently engage in multitasking and believe themselves to be skilled at multitasking often exhibit poorer performance across both tasks, highlighting the detrimental effects of divided attention on overall cognitive function and driving safety. Despite the perceived convenience of multitasking, especially while driving, it often compromises safety on the road and undermines overall performance.

What are the Dangers of Distracted Driving?

Task Switching

What is often perceived as multitasking is actually a process referred to as task switching, where individuals rapidly shift their focus and attention from one task to another, then back again. While it may seem like we are seamlessly managing multiple activities, the reality is that our brains are quickly transitioning from one task to another, often pausing and then returning to the previous task. This constant switching between tasks, such as driving and texting, taxes the brain’s cognitive resources and can have detrimental effects on performance.

Task Switching is Hazardous on the Road

On the road, where split-second decisions and reactions are crucial, this form of task switching can be particularly hazardous. Each time attention is diverted from driving to another task, whether it’s checking a notification or adjusting the radio, the brain must rapidly readjust its focus, leading to cognitive depletion and an increased likelihood of errors. Consequently, task switching while driving not only compromises safety but also undermines overall driving performance, highlighting the importance of maintaining undivided attention behind the wheel.

Inattention Blindness

Inattention blindness refers to a state where drivers, despite having their eyes on the road, are effectively blind to their surroundings due to cognitive distraction. This occurs most notably when drivers engage in activities like talking on the phone, where their cognitive focus is divided between the conversation and the act of driving. In such instances, the brain prioritizes the phone call over driving, relegating the latter to a secondary task. Consequently, drivers experiencing inattention blindness fail to process crucial information necessary for safely navigating their surroundings.

Inattention Blindness Decreases a Driver’s Field of Vision

Studies indicate that during episodes of inattention blindness, drivers may overlook up to 50% of the information in their environment, significantly increasing the risk of accidents. This failure to perceive critical cues, such as pedestrians, traffic signals, or potential hazards, can have severe consequences on road safety. Even after the phone call concludes, the residual effects of inattention blindness persist, with drivers continuing to dwell on the previous task rather than fully reengaging with driving. As a result, the cognitive impacts of inattention blindness extend beyond the immediate distraction, posing ongoing risks to driver attentiveness and road safety.

What is the Most Dangerous Type of Distracted Driving?

Driving distractions can be categorized into three main types:

1. Visual Distractions (Eyes):
   • Visual distractions occur when drivers take their eyes off the road, diverting their gaze to something else within or outside the vehicle. This type of distraction can range from looking at a GPS device or adjusting the radio to observing scenery or reading signs.
2. Manual Distractions (Hands):
   • Manual distractions involve taking one or both hands off the steering wheel, compromising the driver’s ability to maintain control of the vehicle. Examples include reaching for objects, adjusting controls, or eating while driving.
3. Cognitive Distractions (Mind):
   • Cognitive distractions occur when a driver’s mind is not fully focused on the task of driving, leading to mental preoccupation with other activities or thoughts unrelated to driving. Common cognitive distractions include engaging in conversations, daydreaming, worrying, or even using hands-free devices for phone calls. While these distractions may not involve physical actions or visual disruptions, they can significantly impair a driver’s ability to process information, anticipate hazards, and make timely decisions on the road.

Any distraction that involves two or more of the three types of distractions is the most dangerous.

Texting While Driving Combines All 3 Types of Distractions

Texting while driving is highly dangerous as it combines all three types of distractions: visual, manual, and cognitive. Texting while driving causes a driver’s eyes to be diverted from the road, and, instead on to the screen of their phone to see what they are typing. It also results in manual distraction because in order to input a text message, a driver’s hands must move off of the wheel and onto their screen. Texting while driving causes cognitive distraction because the driver’s mind is distracted by trying to think of a response to the message, along with processing what a text message means.

Driving while distracted cognitively, visually, and manually significantly increases the likelihood of the driver getting into a collision on the road because with each type of distraction added, a driver’s response time increases, their judgement becomes impaired, and their situational awareness decreases. Texting while driving is so dangerous that the National Transportation Safety Board reports that texting while driving is the equivalent of driving with a .24 blood-alcohol concentration (over three times the legal limit!)

Voice-to-Text Is Not Safer

For example, studies have shown that voice-to-text can be even more distracting than holding a phone because it combines both visual and cognitive distraction. The driver will be visually distracted by any auto-correct or mistakes, causing them to look at their phone along with cognitively distracted by trying to think of what to say in the message and continue to be cognitively distracted after the text has sent. A AAA study showed that people are distracted up to 27 seconds after they send a voice text.

The Addiction of Multitasking

Multitasking has become a pervasive aspect of modern life, fueled by the accessibility of technology and the relentless pace of society. Whether it’s juggling responsibilities at work, managing household tasks, or staying connected through various communication channels, individuals often feel compelled to multitask to keep pace with the demands of daily life. Moreover, the perception that multitasking leads to heightened productivity perpetuates its appeal, prompting individuals to view it as a natural strategy for managing time more effectively. Research indicates that multitasking behavior is on the rise, with individuals increasingly relying on multiple devices simultaneously to fulfill their obligations. This reliance on multitasking can quickly become addictive, as individuals seek to maximize their efficiency and output. Paradoxically, the more frequently someone engages in multitasking, the more they believe they can effectively handle multiple devices and activities concurrently.

Multitasking Competes for the Brain’s Finite Resources

Despite the perception of increased productivity, multitasking exacts a toll on the brain’s resources. The constant shifting of attention between tasks drains cognitive energy and impairs focus, leading to decreased performance and diminished overall effectiveness. Moreover, multitasking has been shown to negatively impact short-term memory to a level comparable to the effects of sleep deprivation. As individuals become increasingly entangled in the web of multitasking, it becomes imperative to recognize its limitations and prioritize strategies that promote focused attention and optimal task performance.

Long-Term Effects of Multitasking Addiction

The pervasive culture of multitasking in modern society has alarming long-term consequences that extend beyond immediate productivity concerns. Research indicates that individuals who engage in long-term multitasking experience a decline in their ability to concentrate on single tasks, leading to higher levels of stress, frustration, and performance errors (Mark, Gudith, & Klocke, 2008). By constantly rewarding our brains with distracting activities, we inadvertently train them to become less adept at focusing when necessary.

Long-Term Multitasking Results in Reduced Ability to Focus

Over time, the brain becomes habituated to constant stimulation, diminishing its capacity for sustained attention and deep concentration. Even when individuals attempt to concentrate on a single task, the lingering effects of long-term multitasking can decrease ability to focus and increase distractibility. A habitual multitasker may struggle to maintain focus while navigating through challenging driving conditions, even when they put their phone down and attempt to focus only on driving. A long-term multitasker who approaches a construction zone with stop-and-go traffic might find themselves unable to concentrate on repeatedly braking, increasing the risk of rear-ending another vehicle.

Long-Term Multitasking Results in Impulsive Behavior and Reckless Driving

Moreover, long-term multitasking has been associated with a reduction in impulse control, potentially leading drivers to engage in reckless driving. A long-term multitasker who normally feels that they can successfully talk on the phone while driving may add impulsive behaviors, such as cutting off another vehicle because they weren’t truly focusing on the road. These actions can escalate the likelihood of accidents and endanger the safety of both the driver and others on the road. As such, it is crucial for society to recognize the potential hazards associated with chronic multitasking and prioritize strategies to promote mindfulness, focus, and responsible behavior, particularly in situations where split-second decisions can have life-altering consequences.

Young Drivers Are the Most at Risk for Multitasking Addiction

Young drivers are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of multitasking while driving. Despite their limited experience on the road, young drivers often exhibit a false sense of confidence in their ability to multitask behind the wheel. This overconfidence, coupled with their familiarity with technology and today’s culture of multitasking, makes them more likely to engage in distracting behaviors while driving. Studies indicate that drivers under 25 are almost three times more likely than older drivers to send text messages while driving, highlighting the prevalence of distracted driving among this demographic.

Growing up with Multiple Devices Has Negative Effects on Attention Span

Furthermore, today’s teenagers have grown up in an era dominated by technology, where multitasking is often regarded as the norm. This generation’s reliance on technology and constant connectivity has cultivated a culture of multitasking, exacerbating the challenges associated with distracted driving among young drivers. This dependence on technology has normalized multitasking behaviors, leading young drivers to underestimate the risks associated with distracted driving.

Moreover, research suggests that the depth of information processing among teens is diminished compared to previous generations, indicating a significant decline in concentration levels. Additionally, teen drivers are disproportionately represented in accidents caused by cell phone use while driving, with 271 fatalities attributed to distracted driving incidents involving teenage drivers in 2021. Addressing this issue requires targeted education and awareness campaigns aimed at promoting safer driving habits among young drivers and fostering a culture of focused attention behind the wheel.

Breaking the Multitasking Addiction

If you think you’re addicted to multitasking while driving, try the following tips to help you break your multitasking addiction:

1. Align your priorities: Instead of attempting to do two things at once, and making errors, figure out which tasks are the highest priority and fully focus on getting the highest priority tasks done before you move on to the lowest priority tasks. If you are in the car, fully concentrating on driving should be your priority before replying to texts or a phone call. The possible consequences of driving while distracted include losing control of the vehicle and causing a crash that results in death or serious injury. The stakes are much lower when it comes to having to wait a few extra minutes to reply to a call or a text.
2. Remove the Distraction: Put your phone in the glove box or back seat if you are worried about being able to resist the temptation to multitask on the road.
3. Turn on your phone’s “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature: If your phone has this capability, “Do Not Disturb While Driving” automatically silences all notifications when the phone detects that you are driving. This is the easiest way to avoid multitasking while driving as once the feature is turned on then it will automatically turn on each time you drive.
4. Use Notification Blocking Apps: If your phone doesn’t have a “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature, then you can download a notification blocking app from the app store that will automatically detect when the car is moving, silencing all notifications while you are driving, and also sending an automatic reply to anyone that calls or texts you while you are driving that you are currently driving, but will reply once your trip is complete.
5. Pull Over: If you must keep your notifications on as you are waiting for an important call or text, then before answering your phone, find a safe place to stop, and do not answer your phone until your vehicle is completely stopped.
6. Harness the Power of Negative Association: If you find yourself still fighting the urge to attempt to multitask while driving you can kick this habit by wearing a rubber band or hair tie on your wrist and each time you find yourself glancing at your phone while driving or participating in any other distracting behaviors on the road then simply pull on the rubber band and snap it on your wrist. It will sting a little, which causes you to associate bad habits with pain, causing you to not want to look at your phone while driving. Over time, you will be able to break the addiction to multitasking on the road.

Discuss Your Case with our Experienced Distracted Driving Lawyers Today

If you or a loved one were injured by a distracted driver, talk to a knowledgeable personal injury attorney as soon as possible. The dedicated legal team at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC has the experience and skills to secure the evidence and identify all the potentially responsible parties after a distracted driving accident. By employing cell phone experts, accident reconstructionists, investigators, engineers, and mechanics they will find out what happened, why it happened, and collect the evidence necessary to hold the wrongdoers accountable.

We offer a free case consultation, and our distracted driving lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. We do not get paid until we win your case for you through a settlement or a jury verdict. Craig, Kelley & Faultless is headquartered in Indianapolis and has offices in Indiana and an office in St. Louis. We have attorneys licensed in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio. Contact us by telephone at 1-(800) 746-0226 or fill out our online form for a free case evaluation of your truck accident.

About the Author

David W. Craig sits on the Board of Regents of the ATAA (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner, as well as one of the founding partners of the law firm of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is also recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help victims and their families as they navigate through a terrible situation and answers the host of questions that come after a tragic wreck. He is also the host of the podcast, After the Crash where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol on roads regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.