AAA Shows How Not to Drive Your Car
We've all done dumb things in the car before. Eating, talking on the phone, looking at a map, or even reaching for a dropped CD while driving a car will increase your chances of getting into an accident. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute teamed up with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety to study driver behaviors and determine what we're doing behind the wheel. To capture driver behavior, 240 drivers in and around the Washington DC area drove 100 specially equipped vehicles that contained five cameras that captured the driver's every move. You'd think with big brother you would be a little more aware of what was going on around you. Amazingly, the cameras captured 82 accidents and 761 near-crashes.
At the conclusion of the test, AAA narrowed down the biggest risks as driving while drowsy, speeding, aggressive driving, and taking your eyes off the road for more than two seconds. Speeding and driving drowsy TRIPLED the chances of a resulting accident, and distracted driving and aggressive driving doubled the chance of a crash. AAA's message is clear: if you're late for a meeting, tired, and your tie needs adjusting, catch a cab. You're an accident waiting to happen.
[Source: Business Week]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
fez 8:21AM (1/30/2007)
Either the reporter for Business Week got the story completely wrong, or the AAA Foundation is telling fibs. The 100 car study was sponsored by NHTSA and the Virginia DOT, not the AAA FTS.
Here is a link to the Phase II report...see page i.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-13/driver-distraction/PDF/100CarMain.pdf
Also, you can read the conclusions and see that the article's assertions are wrong as well. Speeding (as in exceeding the posted limit) was NOT cited as a causation factor, but rather driving with a speed differing from the traffic flow.
The main outcomes of the study (page 349) were that many more crashes happen than are reported, 80% of drivers are looking away seconds before the crash, younger driver are far more distracted than older drivers, handheld devices are a high distraction risk, people do "everything imaginable" while driving, and drivers are less careful driving someone else's vehicle.
Basically confirming what most researchers already knew.
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Chris 10:39AM (1/30/2007)
"Speeding (as in exceeding the posted limit) was NOT cited as a causation factor, but rather driving with a speed differing from the traffic flow."
Right on. People weaving in and out at 40 or 80 mph is a huge hazard. They sneak into your blind spot (probably while you are looking away for 2.1 seconds too) and thats that.
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porker 11:28AM (1/30/2007)
Yes. It's speed differential that causes problems, not speeding. How many times have you had to adjust your line, move over, take evasive action, etc. for a SLOWER driver? How many for a faster? Right. It's those pokeys that cause the problems, not those who are concentrating on the road while they happen to be exceeding those ridiculous, arbitrary speed "limits".
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Kwyjibo 11:39AM (1/30/2007)
If we just instituted a Drive Right, Pass Left law how many accidents do you think would be avoided?
Also, the police need to start enforcing the use of turn signals, and slower traffic to the right. If you are driving 30mph in a 40mph zone you are just as much a hazard as some guy doing 80mph.
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