There is no doubt that distracted driving puts the lives of drivers, passengers, pedestrians and others on the road at risk. Distracted driving car accidents caused more than 3,100 deaths and over 100,000 injuries in one year alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While people generally think of distracted driving as talking and/or texting on a cellphone, there is something even more dangerous.
There are a surprising number of people who dare to take selfies while driving, then continue to post them to social media platforms. More than 31,808 posts under #drivingselfie, 32,423 posts under #drivingtowork and 7 million posts under #driving on Instagram show people engaging in this deadly activity. Facebook, Twitter and Vine show even more pics of people putting their lives in danger.
Taking selfies while driving incorporates all three types of distractions:
- Manual
- Visual
- Cognitive
Drivers must take their hands off the steering wheel to manipulate their cellphones, and their eyes off the road to pose for the perfect selfie. During this time, drivers are not focused on the road, but on snapping pics and uploading them to social media.
While some people wait until stopped at a traffic light or stop sign before taking selfies, others snap as they are going full speed. Some drivers do not stop there. Drivers post videos or small clips of them racing or taking while operating a vehicle. Sadly, some of these postings show the last moments of drivers’ lives as they die in deadly car accidents. Drivers should avoid all distractions while behind the wheel in order to stay safe.
