Driven to Distraction

Multi-tasking at the wheel can lead to road rage

It may seem harmless enough to take a quick bite of breakfast while you're cruising down the highway, or put on some lipstick while stopped at a red light. But if you're not paying attention to the road, you could easily cut someone off or sit too long at a green light, frustrating other drivers.

So many people are multi-tasking in their cars that 75 percent of drivers surveyed admitted to doing a personal or work task while at the wheel, reports this Canadian Press article on Toronto's C-Health.

"Motorists fail to realize that their simple phone call or lipstick touch-up distracts them from driving, causing a disruption in the flow of traffic, and many times they can further aggravate an aggressive driver nearby," says Emile Therien, the president of the Canada Safety Council.

Road rage isn't just people yelling at each other either. According to this HealthDay article, road rage is more dangerous than drunk driving. Between 1990 and 1996, almost 13,000 people died because of hostile-driving incidents.

And since driver distractions also include all the gadgets and gizmos a car can carry, then most of us may already be in trouble, according to another HealthDay story.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
www.healthday.com