HOUSTON — April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Traffic expert Jennifer Reyna is breaking down the different types of distractions, and how we can prevent them and save lives.
The science behind distracted driving
Sending a text while driving seems simple and quick, but the reality can be devastating.
If your fingers are fast and your text is short, the whole process will take about five seconds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If you are driving 55 miles per hour, you would end up going over 400 feet— that’s longer than a football field – basically with your eyes closed.
Pretty scary right? Well, that doesn’t even take into account how long it takes to brake if a road hazard pops up while you are sending that text.
Experienced drivers know that your reaction time is not instantaneous. It takes approximately 1.5 seconds for your brain to process what is going on and your foot to slam on the brake. That whole time your car is still moving forward, and then you still aren’t stopped. It will still take time from when you hit the brake to when the car stops.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if you are going 55 the distance traveled from when you see the hazard to when you come to a complete stop is over 250 feet.
All these numbers add up to an incredibly dangerous situation not only for you but everyone else on the roads.
Legal consequences of distracted driving
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, in 2023, there were more than 94,000 distracted driving-related crashes in the state, resulting in nearly 400 deaths and 27,000 serious injuries.
The other piece to the puzzle is the legal consequences of distracted driving.
Since September 1, 2017, it has been illegal to read, write, or send a text while driving in the state of Texas. Violators can face a fine of up to $200.
The fines start between $25 and $100, but if you keep getting pulled over for distracted driving, the fines keep rising.
If your distracted driving causes someone else to get hurt or die, the consequences shift.
"Depending on how hurt they are, there are very serious consequences,” said senior trial attorney Matthew Menter. “If somebody is fatally injured by your negligent conduct, you could go to prison. You could be faced with civil lawsuits.”
A split second could change your life or someone else's and have lifelong effects. Menter stressed that whatever is on your phone can wait.
“If you hurt somebody, if you hurt yourself, that is something that can change somebody's life and so it can wait,” he said.
Mom loses both children in distracted-driving crash
On March 20, 2016, Stacey Riddle's life was forever changed.
“When you lose your only children, and at the same time, that's a pain that no one can fix,” said Riddle, the mother of distracted driving victims.
It's been eight years since she lost her two children but it’s a loss she says she will never understand or get over. Investigators who were at the crash told Riddle the crash was so horrific that there were clothes, phones and debris all over the highway.
“There are days when I'm stronger,” Riddle said.
In an instant, her two daughters Brianna Robinson, 19, and Jade Robinson, 17, were killed in the crash. They were coming back from spring break when the car they were in slammed into an 18-wheeler. Authorities said the driver was checking her GPS on her phone when she drifted into the truck's path.
“We all think that you have so much time looking at a phone, reaching for something and you really don't. It just takes a second,” Riddle said.
Only the driver survived. Three others lost their lives that night.
“I lost it. I started screaming and hollering,” Riddle said.
She said she drove to Corpus Christi, but Jade died moments before she got there. She never got to see Brianna.
The sisters went to Bellaire High School where they were star athletes. Both competed in track, gymnastics and volleyball.
Jade received a full scholarship to a university before her life was cut short. Her mother said she did a lot with Special Olympics and helped underprivileged kids.
Brianna is also remembered as very caring and giving.
Riddle said the support of friends and her faith has gotten her through some of the roughest days.
“I've done so well through my building my relationship with God,” Riddle said. “It's allowed me to know that whatever happens, He's in control and I'm just a small piece of it.”
Drive with focus
We know it's wrong; most drivers will admit they have looked at their phones while driving. We also know that looking down at our smartphones or fidgeting in the car can lead to trouble. Did you know that taking your eyes off the road for just 5 seconds is like traveling the length of a football field blindfolded?
That brief distraction can have deadly consequences and the statistics are frightening. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 3,300 people killed in distracted driving crashes in 2022. This equates to about nine lives lost every day because of something entirely preventable.
Police can only do so much about this enormous problem that happens every minute of every day. As Doug Shupe with AAA notes, the issue is so widespread that we must each take responsibility.
“Distracted driving impacts all of us,” Shupe said. “Other drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, we're all at risk.
Shupe said drivers have a desire to know right away who commented on their Facebook posts or Instagram stories. The need to constantly be connected doesn’t stop behind the wheel, he said. That connection leads to deadly results. The main message from officials is to stay off all apps while driving. Period.
Shupe said it’s good practice to learn how the Driving Focus feature works on your phone and use it. Focus limits the messages and alerts you get while you’re driving.
It's a hard message for people to take in and follow. AAA says to pull over if you must call or text. Place your mobile device out of sight to avoid temptation. Ask your passenger for help and refuse to use your phone while driving.
Distracted driving by the numbers
When you look at the numbers surrounding distracted driving, you get a better idea of how big this problem is.
First, let’s figure out what the term distracted driving means. Most people think about using a cellphone and texting when the term comes up, but it goes way beyond that.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are three types of distracted driving, visual distractions that cause you to take your eyes off the road -- think of an accident, or look at your in-car GPS. Then, there are manual distractions. These are things that make you take your hand off the wheel, like eating or changing the radio station. There are also cognitive distractions where your mind is somewhere else. This can include having a phone call even if using a hands-free device.
So how many accidents do these behaviors cause?
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, in 2023 there were 94,330 crashes involving distracted driving in the state. In those crashes, 399 were killed and 2,793 people suffered serious injuries.
Though these numbers are a decrease from 2023, far too many Texans are dying over distracted driving.