By Bill Corliss

The primary causes of automobile accidents have changed in recent years. More drivers have learned that alcohol and driving don’t mix and that wearing seat belts reduces the severity of crashes. But an increase in traffic and the burgeoning variety of driver distractions are creating a high-risk environment on our roads. Although the number of collision fatalities is declining for the first time since the 1950s, the number of crashes and resulting injuries are still increasing, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration.

The skills, knowledge, and experience gained during many years behind the wheel cannot overcome what’s known as inattentional blindness—the phenomenon of not being able to perceive things that are in plain sight. Driving can be mundane, habitual, and boring. These long periods of boredom are sometimes only broken by spurts of crisis or panic. If drivers miss critical information at critical times, they cannot react appropriately.

There are four basic types of distractions: mental, visual, emotional, and physical. These can occur either inside or outside the vehicle. Passengers, cell phones, high-tech vehicle equipment, pets, eating or drinking, and loose objects are examples of distractions inside the car. Outside the vehicle, animals, unusual objects on or beside the roadway, accidents, fires, and even public events can rob drivers of that life-saving second needed to avoid a crisis.

Some distractions can be eliminated by drivers. Talking or texting on a cell phone, eating or drinking, putting on makeup, and looking at off-road events are examples of behaviors drivers control. Other distractions cannot be totally eliminated, such as turning on the defroster, feeling sad or even sneezing. Sometimes a driver is surprised by a distraction such as spilling a soda, by passengers playing, or by trying to kill a bee or other insect trapped inside the car.

Not all distractions are created equal. In determining the risk level of a distraction, there are several components that are important. How many seconds does the distraction last? What is the speed of the vehicle? What is the level of traffic? How well can the driver see? For example, texting creates four distractions at one time: mental, visual, emotional, and physical. Drive down Mooney Boulevard at 35 mph on a Saturday during intense traffic times. Now put down the cell phone and eat the hamburger and drink the soda, wave at the folks running the Cheerleader Car Wash and carry on a full conversation with your passengers. … You get the idea.

All drivers multitask, thus short-circuiting the skills they have gained over many years of on-the-road experience. At 60 mph, cars move at 88 feet per second. Traffic safety studies show that 80% of crashes are preventable if drivers were given one extra second. This spring, make an effort to reduce the number of distractions you face to gain that life-saving second. Treat driving your car as a full-time occupation, not a part-time job.