Get Real Behind the Wheel The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) blames inattentive or distracted drivers
for up to 30 percent of motor vehicle crashes—an estimated 1.2
million a year. In a study by the University of North Carolina
Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC), drivers knew they were
being watched. Yet 15 percent drove distracted. The study found
that drivers were most often distracted by something outside
their vehicle, followed by adjusting a radio or CD player,
according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which funded
the study. Other distractions included talking with other people
in the car, adjusting heating or air conditioning controls,
eating or drinking, using a cell phone, and smoking. Different
age groups seemed to be distracted by different things, the
study said. Drivers under 20 were most often distracted by
tuning the radio or changing CDs; young adults were most often
distracted by other passengers; older drivers (older than 65)
were most often distracted by