Most people have heard that texting while driving is one of the most dangerous and distracting things you can do behind the wheel, but a new survey from Erie Insurance reveals an even longer list of strange things people admit to doing when they should have been focusing on the road.
In their online survey of 1,915 U.S. drivers ages 18 and older, drivers reported they have engaged in the following activities while driving:
- Brushing or flossing teeth
- Taking selfies
- Applying makeup/ curling eyelashes
- Romantic encounter/ PDA
- Grooming hair
- Changing drivers
- Going to the bathroom
- Putting in eye drops or contact lenses
- Scratching off lottery tickets
- Playing guitar
- Daydreaming
It is difficult to imagine that anyone would put on their contacts or relieve themselves while they are driving, but the study’s findings give us a much greater picture of the problem than many of us were previously aware of.
Any activity that causes the driver’s hands, eyes, and mind to wander away from the immediate task of driving is a dangerous distraction that compromises the safety of the driver and everyone else on the road. U.S. government statistics reveal that in 2012 alone, more than 3,300 fatalities and another 420,000 injuries resulted from car accidents related to distracted driving.
Texting is a Driver Epidemic
Texting still tops the list as one of the number one causes of distracted driving accidents. The Erie Insurance survey has also broken down data related to texting while driving by region, gender, and age.
Texting by Region:
- Least: Northeast, 24 percent
- Most: South, 35 percent
Texting by Gender:
- Least: Women, 28 percent
- Most: Men, 32 percent
Texting by Age:
- Least: Age 65 and older, 7 percent; age 55-64, 14 percent
- Most: Age 18-34, 51 percent; age 35-44, 39 percent
Keep these findings in mind the next time you get behind the wheel. Remember that if it isn’t driving, it can wait – your safety and the safety of those around you depend on it.
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