April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the National Safety Council's (NSC) 2022 estimates show that the roads in the U.S. are more dangerous than they've been in recent years. On average eight (8) people are killed daily due to distracted driving related incidents. Here at LGT Transport we always put safety first, it is the most important value we live by while operating a trucking company. We have a saying here at LGT - Safety First, Safety Always. To spread awareness, we wanted to bring Distracted Driving Awareness Month to you and share the top 5 driving distractions that lead to accidents.

Top 5 Driving Distractions

Cognitive Distraction or "Daydreaming"

According to compiled auto accident data in 2010 and 2011 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and crash reports from Erie Insurance, about 62% of distracted drivers who cause accidents report periods lost in thought, also known as daydreaming. This can be caused by anything from lack of sleep to a stressful day.

Cellphone Use

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019 roughly 13% of all fatal distracted driving accidents involve cell phone use meaning at least one of the involved drivers was talking on, listening to, or engaged in some other cell phone activity at the time of the crash.

Looking at Events Outside the Vehicle

About 7% of all distracted driving accidents occur to drivers looking at things outside their vehicles. This is also commonly referred to as “rubbernecking” or turning your head while driving to look at an accident or other roadside event while driving.

Conversations with Passengers

Interacting with passengers while driving is both an auditory and cognitive distraction. About 5% of distracted driving incidents involve drivers paying more attention to their passengers than the road.

Reaching for Devices or Items Inside the Vehicle

Attempting to look for an item or device while driving counts for 2% of all distracted related driving accidents. Other possible causes around the 2% range include eating while driving, adjusting audio levels for the radio or vehicle control settings, and even smoking.

A Few Tips

Above are the top 5 distractions that lead to accidents on the road. We wanted to bring these to everyone's attention so they are not only aware of what to watch for, but also to encourage everyone to avoid creating such distractions. Here are a few tips for each:

1. If you ever notice yourself getting lost in thought, make sure to pull over at a rest area or truck stop and get your bearings back. Maybe even take a quick power nap as lack of sleep is a big cause for cognitive distractions.
2. Before you start driving, turn your cellphones off and store them outside of your reach such as in the glove box or in your sleeper. There are also apps that help prevent this by locking your phone until you come to a stop.
3. It's difficult to not get distracted by events happening outside the vehicle. But, you have to remember to keep focus especially when hauling hazardous materials.
4. If you have a partner with you or you're hauling as a team, passenger interactions are far more common. It's important to create boundaries with your teammate that when you're driving your full attention is on the road.
5. Before you start driving make sure you have everything prepped and in the right place that way you don't have to worry about reaching across the cab or anywhere else that could instigate a dangerous situation.