Distractions Behind the Wheel Can Be Deadly

Distracted driving isn't just about texting, nor is it a problem for teenagers like the ones at the at on Wednesday.

There are so many distractions in our cars today.

Phones are the newest problem. If we don't have a hands-free system, we're taking a hand off the steering wheel to talk. We're distracted by the conversation, or the dings and chimes and ringtones when a call comes in or someone posts on our Facebook timeline.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers under 20 are three times as likely to be texting before being in a car accident as someone over 25.

Here are other distractions, provided by the Ohio Department of Transportation:

• Other people in the car. This is especially a problem for teens, who are inexperienced drivers to begin with.
• Food and drink. How many times have you had one hand on the wheel and  the other around a Big Mac or venti mocha?
• The car stereo. With so many radio options, between broadcast and satellite, and connecting our own digital music collections to our car stereo, we've developed musical ADD. We can't just listen to whatever the next song is. Instead, we take our eyes and attention off the road to find a song we like.
• Mirror time. Checking your hair, putting on lip gloss, all that prettifying means your eyes aren't on the road.
• Smoking. Feeling around for the pack of cigarettes, then the lighter, then using one hand to drive and one hand to take out a cigarette and light it inches from your eyes all make you lose focus on the task at hand.

There are simple solutions to these problems. Pull over and use the phone, eat, smoke or groom, or wait until you get where you're going to do it.

Passengers also need to remember that the driver's first priority is getting everyone there in one piece. Leave the radio alone, keep your voices moderate, don't let the driver use the phone (answer it for them if you can), and don't make any sudden moves or loud noises to startle them.