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Don’t let distractions endanger you on the road
Did you know that the human mind typically can track only about seven things at a time? That’s what scientists say. Give people a seven-item list or a seven-number sequence—such as a phone number—and they can remember it with no problem. But as soon as you introduce an eighth item into the mix, performance diminishes rapidly.
In these days of smart phones and netbooks, remembering seven items—or even one—may seem like an old-fashioned task, but being able to track incoming data and information is a critical skill for drivers. Think about how many things a driver must pay attention to in order to operate a vehicle safely: speed; traffic in front; traffic in the rearview mirror; traffic in the side mirror; road conditions; directions to get to a destination; and car operations, from how to activate the turn signal to whether your foot is on the brake or the accelerator.
In fact, that list alone accounts for seven things. Just one more piece of information to track—such as the conversation you’re having with a passenger, or the track you’re trying to find on the CD you’re listening to—puts you over that magical “seven items” list. If you’re like most people, adding another piece of information is going to result in the removal of one of those primary items from the list.
That’s why distractions can be so dangerous. If you think about the list of the things drivers must track—and those are just the obvious things—you can see that it doesn’t include any items you’d want to neglect.
- Lose track of how fast you’re going, and you might find yourself crashing into the car in front of you.
- Forget what’s happening around you, and you can’t adjust for other drivers, pedestrians and obstacles—not to mention that you won’t know where you are.
- Forgetting any of the other items on your “driver must keep in mind” list can have unexpected and dangerous consequences, too.
You should also be aware that distractions can be mental as well as physical. Thinking about a heated conversation you had with your boss earlier in the afternoon can be just as distracting as trying to unwrap and eat a hamburger you just picked up in the drive-thru. Both of these things will increase your risk of a crash significantly.
But there is one thing you can add to any list that will actually decrease your risks: Safety. By putting safety first on your list, you will successfully minimize your other distractions.
Everyone at AAA is dedicated to your safety on the road. For more solutions that will help you drive safely, visit the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety at AAAFoundation.org.