Avoid driving distractions

Distracted driving is any activity that draws a driver’s attention away from the task at hand. In a split second the consequences of distracted driving can be devastating and take the lives of many innocent people. In 2010, 3,267 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver, according to http://www.distraction.gov, and an additional 416,000 people were injured. These incidents made up 18% of all injury crashes in the US.

Cell phone use is one of the worst offenders because, according to Carnegie Mellon University, it reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. Ditch the distraction? Ditch the dangers, and ditch the consequences.

Chelsea Fisher is a junior at Odessa High School.