Beliefs, behavior and distracted driving
By Lynne Bell
It's called cognitive dissonance. That is, most people have an inner need to ensure that their beliefs match up with their behaviors. And according to psychologist Leon Festinger-who wrote A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance in 1957-“Cognitive dissonance can be seen as an antecedent condition which leads to activity oriented toward dissonance reduction just as hunger leads toward activity oriented toward hunger reduction.”
That is, most humans are so uncomfortable with beliefs and actions that aren't in alignment, that the internal disharmony they experience-and their desire to reach internal consistency-is on a par with a basic human need such as hunger.
But in Saskatchewan, when it comes to texting while driving? Not so much.
This year, the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) released the results of a survey which concluded that distracted driving continues to be one of the top causes of automobile collisions in this province, with 5,700 crashes occurring in 2015-all of them a direct result of distracted driving. The CAA also found that nationally, 22 percent of drivers admitted to texting while driving. In Saskatchewan, that figure jumped to 35 percent, with five percent of the province's respondents admitting that they sent emails and texts “regularly” while behind the wheel.
And demonstrating positive proof of Festinger's theory, 90 percent of Saskatchewan's respondents also stated that they believe texting while driving was “socially unacceptable.”
Naturally, if we humans aim to deal effectively with the divide between our beliefs and behaviors concerning distracted driving, the solution is simple: Be aware of how potentially dangerous and destructive a habit it is and stop-cold turkey-just stop.
There is no upside to distracted driving. But the potential downsides are equal parts obvious and potentially dangerous-for everyone on the road.
Carlyle RCMP Staff Sgt. Darren Simons agrees and says of the current distracted driving statistics: “It's brutal. People just feel like they have to keep reaching for their phones to answer that call or that text while they're driving and it's scary.”
“People just don't realize that a collision can occur in a short, short time. Just pull over. Is it that important to answer that call?”
Pay attention, shut off the phone and drive safe
By Kelly Running
Distracted driving, it encompasses everything from the driver reading, eating, putting on make-up, to the use of an electronic device (cell phone, GPS, etc…).
It’s the last one, the electronic devices, however, that have become a large problem in society. People checking a text, sending a text, checking Facebook, taking a phone call, looking for their phone when it begins to ring, and literally anything related to the cell phone.
According to a Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) nationwide survey, 22 percent of Canadian drivers admitted to texting behind the wheel; but, Saskatchewan is one of the highest offenders with 35 percent of drivers in this province using their phone to check email or text messages while behind the wheel.
Checking a unit converter online I discovered that 100 km/hr is the equivalent of traveling 27.8 meters per second and let’s face it the majority of traffic along Hwy 13 is going at least 110 km/hr which works out to 30.6 meters per second. Now how long are you looking at your phone for? Just a few seconds? A few seconds, let’s say seven seconds in this instance. You are looking at moving 214 metres or 702 feet for those of you who are more inclined to the imperial system. So, travelling 110 km/hr and looking down at your phone for seven seconds means you have travelled quite a distance in a very short amount of time.
The other day it took some friends and me about an hour, maybe a little under but we’ll call it even an even 60 minutes, to hike five kilometres. That means at a walking pace you’re travelling 214 metres in about 2.6 minutes. That’s a ridiculously huge difference.
Have you ever looked out the side window and watched the grass where the ditch meets the road just whizzing by you? Humans weren’t meant to go at the speeds we do in vehicles, our eyes can’t pick up what’s happening, so it blurs. This means humans reacting to situations on the road are essentially controlling a metal death machine at high speeds with extremely slow reactions in comparison.
That’s why you’re supposed to go slower in poor weather or on gravel roads, there are more variables that can contribute to you having to react. On the highway in good conditions, it’s smooth and your tires grip well, so a few variables are taken away. However, at any time there could be a hazard in the road. Maybe something is lost off of an unsecure load and is sitting in the road, maybe a deer jumps out from the brush on the side of the road, or maybe your tire blows and you have to react to it pulling you that direction.
With your reaction time already hindered because you’re moving too fast for what humans are physically meant to move… what does looking at your phone for seven seconds do? Well, it can cause a collision, cause injuries, or even cost lives.
Texting and driving is not worth it, so let’s help Saskatchewan bring down their numbers of engaged cell phone users on the road. Lets prevent at least some of the 5,700 collisions caused by distracted driving last year.
