Distracted Driving Study Shows the Importance of Keeping Your Eyes on the Road

According to a new study from MIT, the key to avoiding distracted driving is simple: just keep your eyes on the road. It may sound obvious that you should look where you’re going while driving. It’s one of the first lessons everyone learns while learning to drive. But this study focused on an important question about distracted driving: does the main risk of distracted come from trying to concentrate on two separate tasks at the same time, or is it a matter of where your eyes are pointed?

The study showed that glancing at a phone or other device while driving slowed reaction time over 10 times more than being distracted by a task that didn’t require looking away from the road.

“If you’re looking down at your phone in the car, you may be aware that there are other cars around,” said study author Benjamin Wolfe. “But you most likely won’t be able to distinguish between things like whether a car is in your lane or the one next to you.”

The Arrive Alive Tour is dedicated to showing drivers the importance of keeping their eyes on the road with its distracted driving simulator. The simulator allows drivers to experience what it’s like to drive while distracted, but in a safe, controlled environment.