Injury Prevention Unit

Contact Information
Injury Prevention
Division of Chronic Disease & Injury Prevention
3530 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 800
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone:213-351-7847
Email: cli@ph.lacounty.gov


Driver Distractions

As a driver, your primary responsibility is to safely operate your vehicle and have the understanding and ability to control driver distraction in your vehicle.

Personal distractions while driving a vehicle can include talking to passengers, especially disciplining children, eating, drinking, putting on make-up, combing or brushing hair, looking in the mirror for grooming. When driving it is important to remember that as a driver your primary responsibility is to maintain and operate your vehicle. Part of this responsibility is to also understand and limit driver distraction.

Risk of Personal Distractions While Driving What You Can Do?
  • Engaging in a conversation significantly decreases the chance of seeing and reacting to a traffic signal (Strayer & Johnston, 2001)
1. When driving, as you talk to passengers make driving be    the primary focus. Do not take part in highly emotional or controversial conversations while driving.

2. If children are riding with you and you must discipline or attend to them, first pull over to a safe location.

3. For teen drivers, California Law requires the first 6 months of driving, always drive with a licensed adult. Recommendation is to not drive with more than one adult passenger and avoid additional passengers, such as children or teens, as they may cause distractions.

  • Eating or drinking (Stutts et al, 2001)
  • Smoking (Brison, 1990; Christie, 1990; Violanti & Marshall, 1996).
  • Teenage Passengers, specifically due to conversation distraction and peer pressure (Williams, 2001)

Mobile (Cell) Phones
On-Board Navigational Systems
Entertainment Systems
Driver Distraction Home
Motor Vehicle Home

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Public Health has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translation. However, no computerized translation is perfect and is not intended to replace traditional translation methods. If questions arise concerning the accuracy of the information, please refer to the English edition of the website, which is the official version.
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