Glances away from the road could lead to accidents

Think about how often you glance away from the road while driving. Some glances may be innocuous and necessary, such as checking your blind spot before a lane change. Looking in the rear view mirror to see if someone is riding your bumper, or just checking out what is causing a stoppage in a particular lane.

But when we take our eyes off the road for things that are not imitable for driving safety, such as changing a radio station, checking or sending a text message or even entering numbers to dial a phone, this could lead to devastating accidents. This possibility is especially important given how drivers who look away from the road for two seconds while travelling at 70 miles per hour, for instance.

A car going at that speed will travel more than half the length of a football field in two seconds; which is why researchers at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggested publicly that glances away from the road should be two seconds or less.

Essentially, researchers found that glances of that length of time left drivers unlikely to be able to react to hazards, such as a car pulling out in front of them. Distracted drivers also missed the subtle physical cues that would alert a driver to a burgeoning hazard, while those who were not distracted were able to anticipate and react properly.

Nevertheless, the research exemplifies the duty that drivers have to use reasonable care while behind the wheel. This includes keeping one’s eyes on the road.