( When it comes to someone driving while ...)Cell Phones and Driving,Health

When it comes to someone driving while distracted, cell phones seem to get all the bad press. And some of it is well-deserved.//

Distractions and inattention while driving are estimated to cause 1.2 million crashes - about 25 percent of all crashes - on American roads. One estimate says cells phones contribute to about 60,000 auto accidents a year in the United States.

But according to the February issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, other distractions are even more dangerous. Eating, looking at a map, reaching for something and watching something outside your car, such as an accident scene, are some of the more common distractions that are at least as likely, or more likely -- to lead to an auto accident.

What’s the worst distraction? Reaching for a moving object inside the car, according to a study on driver distractions published last year. Researchers equipped 100 cars with a camera that filmed the driver and a sensor system that detected accidents or near accidents. The cars were driven a cumulative distance of about 2 million miles by 241 different drivers. In that time, there were 82 crashes and 761 near crashes.

Researchers determined that reaching for a moving object inside the car increased the crash or near crash risk eight times. Looking at something outside the car increased risk 3.7 times. Dialing a cell phone increased risk 2.8 times. Eating, reaching for an object or talking on a cell phone increased risk 1.5 times.

Eliminating every distraction may not be feasible, but you can minimize risk with these safe-driving tips:

? Cage, leash or harness a pet before you travel.
? If you must eat or drink, have a passenger hand you items or arrange them within easy reach.
? Take time before you drive to adjust the seat, mirrors, seat belt and radio.
? Pull over when you talk on the cell phone. If you must talk and drive, keep conversations brief and have a passenger dial, and us
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