Distracted driving is a dangerous habit many drivers of guilty of, and the Ohio State Patrol is calling it out on a new website. In an effort to expose the extreme danger of distracted driving, the OSHP Distracted Driving Dashboard features instances of distracted driving across the state, divided by county, and according to specific routes.
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According to the website, “The Distracted Driving Dashboard is a detailed view of distracted driving crashes and violations across Ohio, and the important work that troopers around the state are doing to reduce the impact of this dangerous crime.”
Since 2016, there have been 70,817 crashes caused by distracted drivers, with 2,130 of those crashes resulting in serious injuries or fatalities, according to the website’s data. Also, since 2016, there have been more than 24,000 citations for distracted driving handed out to Ohio drivers by the OSHP.
Although distracted driving is mostly attributed to cell phone use, the term covers any action that draws a driver’s attention from the road, potentially putting themselves and others in jeopardy.
The OSHP Distracted Driving Dashboard defines distracted driving as, “Any non-driving activity a person engages in that has potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increases the risk of crashing.” The website also includes a graphic to illustrate further the components of what constitutes distracted driving behavior:
- Visual distractions that make drivers take their eyes off the road such as cellphone use, applying makeup, referring to maps, or navigation assistance.
- Manual distractions that require hands off the wheel such as eating, drinking, or grooming.
- Cognitive distractions that occupy a driver’s mind, pulling their attention from being focused and present.
In addition to sobering statistics about the dangers of distracted driving, the website also includes a video of a young driver’s personal experience with distracted driving.
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Currently, a House Bill outlawing drivers from holding a cell phone or electronic device is pending in the Ohio General Assembly.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.
