With several weeks left in August, the peak of distracted driving season on the roads of the greater Kansas City area and, for that matter, around the rest of country, is still in full swing.
While all drivers should be mindful accordingly, this season is a particularly opportune time for people who may be tempted to text and drive to remind themselves about how dangerous their behavior can be for other motorists.
A recent report which this blog has discussed previously identified the summer months of June, July and August as the peak season for distracted driving. During this time, the report estimates that the frequency of distracted driving rises by about 10 percent when compared with the other months of the year.
While 10 percent might not seem like much, to put it in perspective, what this increase means is that, during the summer months, 40 percent of the drivers one sees on the road are distracted for about 25 percent of their overall driving time.
This means that many drivers that one sees on interstate 435 and other major Kansas City roads are not paying full attention to the road for 15 minutes out of every hour driven. Considering that it only takes a second or two of distraction to cause an auto accident, this information is very concerning.
Why motorists engage in distracted driving during the summer at greater frequency is also somewhat troublesome. For instance, those interpreting the available data suggested that summer is a time in which school is not in session and younger people thus have more time to travel the roads of Kansas and Missouri. This means that younger drivers might not be paying attention to all of the warnings out there about how dangerous texting and other activities can be when done behind the wheel of a moving car.
