Have you ever honked at a driver sitting ahead of you at a green light? Did he look up from his phone like you've disturbed something important? Along with all the traditional road hazards that cause car accidents, you must now anticipate the texter, the phoner, the luncher, the shaver, the makeup artist, the newspaper reader, the television watcher, in short, the distracted driver.

Most people would agree driving is an important task which requires the mind, eyes, and body to work in harmony. Remove the eyes and the mind, and a disaster can strike. Negligence is when the social network and texting become more urgent than driving.

Drivers badgered to look at the world's largest ball of string, rubber-necking accident "investigators", or closed-eye crooners are sidetracked from the important duty of driving, replacing it with the urgency of the spectacle.

Throughout December, public service announcements (PSAs) from the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) will air in movie theaters and gas pump televisions reminding drivers, particularly teens, that driving is an important skill and to remain on task without distractions.

Americans have been raised to believe multi-tasking is appropriate, even preferred, at all times. Driving, however, requires full attention because the road, sidewalks, periphery, traffic flow and the overall "big picture" all change constantly, forcing the ongoing reevaluation of conditions.

Distraction is basically another word for negligence when it comes to car accidents. Hopefully, the PSAs will get that lesson into the heads of not just teen drivers but all drivers this holiday season and make for a new year with fewer distracted driving fatalities. To view the PSAs, click here.

Source

NHTSA: "U.S. Department of Transportation Unveils 'OMG' PSA to Warn Teens About the Dangers of Distracted Driving," Nov. 28, 2011