Distracted Driving Case Study

Background
Distracted driving is an increasing and significant threat in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2016), visual, manual, and cognitive diversions are the three principal types of distraction: visual diversion is taking the eyes off the road; manual distraction is taking the hands off the wheel, and cognitive diversion is taking the mind off of driving. Many diversions activities contribute to divert drivers such as eating, using a cell phone and texting while driving which is the most dangerous practice because it combines the three types of distraction.
One of the main factors of injuries in the United States is motor vehicle crashes, and inattentive driving contributes greatly to the occurrence of these accidents (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016).

According to Sherin et al. (2014), a 12 month program combined a public awareness campaign such as “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other” and law enforcement procedures in Hartford, Connecticut and Syracuse, New York and resulted in a decrease of cell phone use among drivers (p. 685). The Graduate Driver Licensing Program is another successful preventive measure implemented in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The goal of the program is to promote safe driving practices and the parents serve as a role-model for new, inexperienced drivers (Sherin et al., 2014, p. 685). A significant outcome on “attention maintenance” was perceived and the study realized by Durbin et al. (2014) noticed a crash reduction of 10-30% and a decrease in teens’ mortality due to collision in the states (p. 69). Since 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation combat the epidemic through distracted driving summits, texting prohibition and cell phone use for commercial drivers, tough laws suggestion for states, and several awareness campaigns about the issue (Distraction.gov,