Tuesday, April 14, 2020

DRIVERS: 41 Percent Read Texts and 32 Percent Type Texts or E-mails

A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that about 80 percent of drivers expressed "significant anger, aggression, or road rage behind the wheel at least once in the past year." Recent studies have shown that more than 37,000 people die annually -- and nearly 3 million people injured -- while driving, riding, or walking on U.S. roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Some of the primary risk factors associated with traffic-related injuries and fatalities included: excessive speed; driving under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs; drowsy driving; improper use of seat belts and child restraints; lack of driving experience; and distraction.

Even with all of the shocking statistics we see regarding car accidents, 41 percent of drivers have admitted in surveys that they read text messages while behind the wheel, and 32 percent report typing a text or e-mail message on a hand-held cellphone while driving.

I can't begin to tell you how many close encounters I've had with drivers while legally running along pedestrian-allowed roadways. Some have yelled at me, sounded their horn, or screamed profanities simply because I was on the shoulder of the road. Others have purposefully tried to run me off the roadway, while others have been completely distracted and nearly killed me. Some have illegally overtaken other vehicles and nearly struck me, while some have thrown items out of their car window at me. This has not only occurred while I've been running, but also while cycling.

On average, 17 pedestrians and two cyclists are killed each day in the United States. Last year, more pedestrians and cyclists were killed in the U.S. than in any year since 1990. Distracted driving plays a role since about 10 percent of fatal crashes involve a distracted driver, and more than 3 percent of drivers on the road on any given day are talking on cellphones. Of course, pedestrians can also be distracted by their own cellphone use, although it is unclear how often that leads to a fatality. Some experts say that as Americans continue to purchase larger S.U.V.s and trucks, they may be making themselves safer at the expense of pedestrians and cyclists, who may not be as visible to them as they are to car drivers and would suffer more from a heavier impact.

Regardless of the season, bicyclist deaths occur most often between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Bicyclist deaths occur most often in urban areas (75%) compared to rural areas (25%). Finally, bicyclist deaths are generally 8 times higher for males than females.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso
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