Distracted driving tool shows just how far you can travel while texting

The key to being safe as a driver is to keep your eyes on the road.

Humans who think they can multitask while sitting at the wheel of a moving car continue to be a problem—one that claimed more than 3,300 lives in 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The problem is almost entirely down to our smartphones—while we know they're distracting, too many drivers just can't help checking that email when they shouldn't. Now a new online tool provides an easy way to grasp just how much of the road we can miss while playing with that phone.

The distracted driving tool was developed by Quanta, a "context-based insurance provider," which wants to raise awareness of the problem. "Quanata’s technology aims to create a future where risk-informed choices enable safer drivers and better lives. We recognize that a lot of the danger on our roads is caused by distracted driving and we want to help minimize that," said Jim Ryan, SVP of business development at Quanta.

The tests include preparing a text message while your car drives at 70 mph and then a comparison of reaction times at 70 mph when concentrating on the task of driving versus trying to assemble an order in a fast food app.

The texting example is particularly good at getting the point across, at least to me—my times averaged about 14 seconds to complete the task. Had I been behind the wheel of an actual car at that speed, I would have traveled more than 1,400 feet (426 m) with my eyes on the phone during that period. Not good!

Of course, the people behind the distracted driving simulator recognize that this is mostly an awareness-raising tool—for academics studying the topic, we have things like the $80 million National Advanced Driving Simulator, which can pitch, yaw, roll, tilt, and move about inside a large hangar-like room in Coralsville, Iowa.

"While this simulator can’t provide a complete picture of the dangers of distracted driving, our hope is to help illustrate how dangerous it is to glance down at your phone—and remind everyone how that time can add up when you’re behind the wheel," Ryan said.

Thankfully, the solution to distracted driving is rather simple—at least conceptually. Just keep your eyes on the road, and save the phone use for when you're parked.

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