Multitasking not a good thing behind the wheel

As a society we have gotten pretty good at multitasking. That can be a good thing. But it also is a bad thing, when people are trying to multitask while behind the wheel of a car. But it is happening more and more, often with deadly results. In 2015, 94 people were killed in Wisconsin in crashes in which at least one of the drivers was listed as driving inattentively. Another 10,000 people were injured in those crashes. Nationally, the Highway Traffic Safety Commission says distracted driving is a factor in at least 3000 deaths each year. All because people weren’t paying attention to the road. There are a number of reasons people are distracted while driving, including fiddling with the radio. But by far the biggest distraction to those on the roads are their cell phones and other technology. More than 2 in 3 drivers admitting talking on their phones while driving over the past month. 42% admit reading a text message while driving, and 32% report sening a text while driving. You’ve seen them…they are the ones unable to stay in their lanes or maintain a steady speed. When you pass them, you seem them staring at the phone they have pressed against the steering wheel. It is time for us to change our habits. We are not invincible. Put down the phone while driving. That text can wait.