‘Asking for a disaster to happen’
Staff writer
Talking on a cell phone, texting, or just taking your eyes off the road while driving are considered distracted driving, and all can have serious consequences.
Kansas Department of Transportation data show that a quarter of the state’s 52,043 crashes during 2024 were caused by distracted driving.
Statewide, distracted driving caused 63 fatal crashes killing 69 people, 3,098 injury accidents hurting 4,372 people, and 8,907 property damage accidents during 2024.
Among Marion County’s 307 crashes this past year, 69 were caused by distracted driving. Two were fatalities killing three people, 16 were injury crashes hurting 22 people, and 51 caused property damage only.
Hillsboro assistant police chief Randy Brazil says he’s more likely to see people driving distracted when he’s in his private vehicle that when he’s in his police cruiser.
“There are three types of distracted driving,” Brazil said. “There’s manual, taking your hands off the wheel; visual, taking your eyes off the road; and cognitive, when you take your mind off driving. I can’t tell you how many times in my personal vehicle I’ve seen people driving and talking on the phone.”
Brazil thinks texting is a bigger distraction than talking on a phone because a driver has to look down to read and write messages.
Texting involves all three forms of distraction — manual, visual, and cognitive.
“You wonder all the time if people were texting,” Brazil said. “You’re just asking for a disaster to happen.”
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says texting while driving at 55 mph takes a driver’s eyes off the road for five seconds, the equivalent of driving the length of a football field with the driver’s eyes closed.
Brazil also warns drivers not to apply makeup or get dressed while driving.
“Don’t drive when you’re upset,” he adds. “If something falls down in the seat or on the floor, just let it go and get it when you stop.”
If children are acting up, don’t try to look at them.
“Just pull to the side of the road and deal with it,” Brazil says.