We've all seen them - people driving down the road reading the newspaper, putting on makeup, or concentrating on a cell phone conversation. Those are the most obvious examples of driver distraction. What may surprise many people are the number of other things we do in our cars that take attention away from the vital task of driving.

Driving is a risky activity. Each year, more than 40,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes and over 3 million are injured. Research indicated that in more than 50% of all crashes, driver distraction was a contributing factor.

"For more than half a century, driving was a pretty simple task," says Tim Hoyt, Vice President of Safety for Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio. "You got in the car and drove with hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Today our busy, hectic schedules, clogged and congested roadways, and availability of in-vehicle technology has made driving just another place to multi-task," he said.

"Many vehicle improvements have made driving safer such as windshield wipers, and others have made driving enjoyable such as radios and CD players," says Jay Minotas, Manager of Safety Programs for General Motors in Detroit, Michigan. "But drivers must also recognize when these devices are distracting them from their primary responsibility of driving," he noted.

"Many workers are at high risk of injury and death from traffic-related motor vehicle crashes. About three workers die from these crashes each day." -The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Measuring work-related deaths and injuries captures just the tip of the iceberg. Many crashes occur while commuting to and from work and involve not just employees but their families as well.