Work does not just stay at the office anymore. With the advent of technology like smartphones and video chatting, bosses are expecting more from their workers than perhaps ever before. Like a lot of people in Texas, your boss might expect you to answer work calls or reply to emails regardless of what else you may be doing. Unfortunately, this extra work pressure is making the distracted driving problem worse.

Distracted driving certainly is a huge problem. Around 80% of drivers talk on the phone when they are behind the wheel. At least 30% of drivers admit they have nearly caused accidents while driving too. Since these figures were self-reported in a Travelers Companies survey, it is possible that the real numbers could be much higher.

What if your boss is calling?

Connected culture — the idea that people should be constantly connected to their devices and available — could literally be killing workers. In a survey of company executives, nearly 75% said they do not think distracted driving is a big concern. Instead, these executives seem to prioritize being “on” all the time. That same survey found that 87% of executives think they should be able to either always or frequently contact employees outside the office.

Drunk drivers do not just endanger their own lives. They also put everyone else in Texas at risk for serious injury or even death. Unfortunately, many men and women still act as if drinking and driving is safe. This dangerous attitude toward drunk driving makes it difficult to get the problem under control.

Part of the problem could be that drunk driving is not necessarily as visible as distracted driving. While it is easy to spot a driver staring at his or her phone, it might be harder to identify someone who is under the influence of alcohol. So while you might find it easy to believe that distracted driving is the most common cause of car accidents, you may not realize that drunk driving is the second.

Does age matter?

A 2020 study from the Zebra found that age plays a huge factor in determining who is most likely to drink and drive. When asked which generation has the most drunk drivers, nearly 36% of respondents pointed to drivers between the ages of 25 and 39 — millennials — followed by 31% of drivers aged 16 to 24 — Gen Z.

Life without a smart phone probably feels a little unrealistic in today’s society. But is it unrealistic to expect people to use their smart phones safely? Unfortunately, there are many drivers in Texas who still prioritize their phones over paying attention to the road, making texting and driving a huge problem.

Every year in America, drivers on their phones cause 1.6 million crashes. In 2018 alone, cell phone use had a connection to 4,637 car accident deaths. These high numbers of injuries and deaths do not seem to deter some drivers from reaching for their phones.

Does age matter?

Age is a factor in who is most likely to text, and for different reasons. For example, people who text and drive are probably more confident in their abilities to multitask. A survey from The Zebra found that nearly 40% of drivers age 55 and up believe they multitask well, compared to only around 30% of drivers between the ages of 25 and 34.

While you might assume that other drivers take the responsibility of being behind the wheel as seriously as you do, the reality is that many men and women in Texas simply do not. Deterring people from driving while under the influence of alcohol is not easy either, and police arrest around one million Americans for this act each and every year. However, some experts believe that technology could be the answer to this problem.

According to a research paper from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — IIHS — reducing drunk driving deaths could be as easy as installing a breath testing unit in new vehicles. Some form of this technology already exists, too. Ignition interlock devices are frequently used for drivers convicted on DUI charges.

Stopping drunk drivers

When it comes to drunk driving, IIHS reports that the U.S. has made very little progress since around the mid-1990s. Looking back over just the past decade, drunk driving has contributed to 30% of roadway deaths. Some car manufacturers are committed to lowering those numbers.

Why should you or one of your loved ones have to suffer injury because another Texas driver chose to disregard traffic laws and safety regulations? It is never okay to fail to stop at a stop sign or to make unsafe lane changes or blow through red lights. Chances are, there are distracted drivers on the road every time you get behind the wheel or ride as a passenger in someone's car.

There are three main types of driving distraction. Some drivers deal with simultaneous distractions in more ways than one. Even a momentary distraction greatly increases the risk of collision. One minute, you might simply be commuting to work or driving to the grocery store. The next, a driver looking down at a cell phone might not see that you've stopped at a stop sign, and you could wind up in the back of an ambulance because of his or her negligence.

Understanding these types of distraction can help you stay safe