A Bad Dream-Top Ten Driving Distractions – Dave’s Diary

We have all heard the warnings about texting while driving and we’ve all heard the horror stories of cell phone conversation leading to serious car accidents, but when it comes to being involved in a fatal car crash, there is something even worse.

According to a survey by Erie Insurance  driving while daydreaming is the most deadly of all. Being distracted or lost in thought accounted for 62% of fatal accidents caused by a distracted driver, followed by a very distant 12% caused by cell phone use, which includes not only talking, but also texting.  Of the more than 65,000 people killed in car crashes over the past two years, one in ten were in crashes where at least one of the drivers was distracted.

The top 10 driving distractions involved in fatal car crashes are:

1. Generally distracted or lost in thought, daydreaming: 62%
2. Cell phone use (talking, listening, dialing, texting): 12%
3. Outside person, object or event, such as rubbernecking: 7%
4. Other occupants (talking with or looking at other people in the car): 5%
5. Using or reaching for a device brought into the vehicle, such as navigational device or headphones: 2%
6. Eating or drinking: 2%
7. Adjusting audio or climate controls: 2%
8. Using other device/controls integral to the vehicle, such as adjusting rear view mirrors or using OEM navigation system: 1%
9. Moving object in the vehicle, such as a pet or insect: 1%
10. Smoking related, including smoking, lighting up, putting ashes in the ashtray: 1%