Fatal Distraction

By David Bjerklie

The biggest surprise in a candid-camera survey of what takes U.S. drivers' minds off the road was what didn't. Cell phones, the favorite target of legislators and late-night comedians, ranked relatively low on the list of distractions captured by Minicams in a weeklong survey for the American Automobile Association. Only 30% of drivers in the study were caught making calls from behind the wheel, in contrast to 97% who were spotted reaching or leaning, 91% who fiddled with the radio, 77% who ate or drank and 46% who groomed themselves. And 40% were seen reading or writing, though mostly at stop signs. Such distractions cause 1.2 million crashes a year and 12,000 fatalities. --By David Bjerklie