FAST FACT : How Distracting Are Cell Phones?

Source: School Transportation News. Edited by Chris Kincey, MTS Marketing Director

According to the National Highway Travel Safety Administration (NHTSA), the typical phone conversation lasts an average of 2.5 minutes, including dialing and hanging up. In that time, at 35 miles-per-hour, a vehicle will travel 51.3 feet per second. This means, at 65 mph, your vehicle will cover 2.5 miles during that “average” phone call.  

Even brief periods of driver distraction translate into substantial distances that might be needed for defensive driving. Improper focus and inattention are report by this agency as the two leading contributors to vehicle accidents. While cell phone usage figures have not been included in their report, common sense should have us all keeping our phone usage while driving to a minimum, and being a bit more careful at those times when we are on the air. Just as we would not drive with both hands off the steering wheel, using a cell phone while driving is often the equivalent of doing that with your eyes closed. As NHTSA figures show, in a few short seconds you can travel a long way in a less than ideal driving condition. 

It’s no wonder there are legal movements rising across the country to ban cell phone use while driving! Fortunately, School Bus Drivers already cannot use a cellular phone while behind the wheel. One more reason our industry leads the entire transportation industry in terms of safety.

For more information, check out the NHTSA’s web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.