Distracted driving can turn deadly in seconds

Distracted driving can turn deadly in seconds, and safety advocates say most crashes could be prevented if drivers stayed focused behind the wheel.

“If people can just pay attention and be aware and take responsibility behind the wheel, most of our collisions would be eliminated overnight,” said Jeff Payne, founder and CEO of Driver’s Edge.

But drivers continue to look at their phones while driving, a habit that safety experts warn can have serious consequences. Tammy Gweedo McGee, executive director of the Gweedo Memorial Foundation, said many people do not change their behavior until something happens to them.

“What is really sad is a lot of people do not react until it does happen to them. And that is one hundred percent what we are trying to prevent,” McGee said.

The Henderson Police Department is joining prevention efforts with an enforcement campaign running from Aug. 14 to Sept. 1.

During that period, drivers may also be contributing to a major source of local government revenue. Las Vegas budgets for more than $15 million in fines and forfeitures. Clark County expects more than $13 million. Henderson budgets $3 million, and North Las Vegas budgets $8 million.

In addition, Henderson and North Las Vegas each receive more than $400,000 in municipal court funds.

The cities and the county send the money to their respective treasurers, where it becomes revenue for the local governments.

McGee said drivers can reduce their risk of getting cited by understanding the three types of distracted driving: visual, manual and cognitive.

“Visual and manual are pretty common sense: taking your eyes off the road and taking your hands off the wheel. Visual and manual,” McGee said. “But cognitive distractions are when you take your brain out of driving. So when you are concentrating on the next meeting you are trying to get to or you have got to get your kids to practice or what are we going to have for dinner tonight; you are not paying attention to driving. And cognitive becomes very, very concerning because that is texting.”

Payne warned that texting while driving can be deadly because of the distance a vehicle can travel in just a few seconds. He said drivers can travel 90 to 180 feet in the time it takes to look away from the road and read a text which is just one second and about a football field in about three seconds.

“A lot can happen in that 90 feet, in that 180 feet, whatever it happens to be,” Payne said. “Because in a blink of an eye anything can happen but it is so unfortunate that a lot of people do not realize that it can happen to them.”

The Henderson Police Department was unavailable for comment.