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Montana driving lesson · How to Drive Safely

Distracted driving

A 3-minute lesson from the Montana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
How to Drive Safely
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
59, 61

Distracted driving is any time your eyes leave the road, your hands leave the wheel, or your mind leaves the job of driving. About 90% of driving decisions are based on what you see.

90%

Share of driving decisions based on what we see

Handbook p. 59 ↗

Distractions include

  • Texting
  • Using a cell phone or smartphone
  • Eating and drinking
  • Talking to or arguing with passengers
  • Grooming
  • Reading, including maps
  • Using a navigation system
  • Watching a video
  • Adjusting a radio, CD player or MP3 player
  • Being drowsy, sleepy, fatigued or stressed
Handbook p. 59 ↗

Know the rule

Texting is the most alarming distraction because it is a manual, visual and cognitive distraction all at once.

Handbook p. 59 ↗
5 seconds

Eyes off the road to send or read a text

Handbook p. 59 ↗

Know the rule

At 55 mph, those 5 seconds are like driving the length of a football field blindfolded.

Handbook p. 59 ↗

Multi-tasking

It isn't real: your brain handles one task at a time, shifting between tasks very quickly.

Handbook p. 59 ↗

Know the rule

Most Montana cities have passed laws against texting and talking on cell phones while driving.

Handbook p. 59 ↗

Know the rule

If something needs your attention, wait until you can safely pull off the road and stop.

Handbook p. 59 ↗

Know the rule

Avoid using a phone or two-way radio while moving — even hands-free talk takes your attention. Don't drive with headphones or earbuds; they make it too hard to hear horns and sirens.

Handbook p. 61 ↗

Know the rule

Passing a crash or traffic stop, keep your eyes on the road and don't slow down to stare (“rubbernecking”) — you could hit a car that stopped ahead, and staring adds congestion.

Handbook p. 61 ↗

Be part of the solution

  • Never text or talk on the phone while driving
  • As a passenger, buckle up and speak up if the driver is distracted
  • Encourage friends and family to drive phone-free
Handbook p. 59 ↗

Put it into practice

Your phone buzzes on the highway. Leave it. If the message truly can't wait, take the next exit or pull safely off the road and stop before you read it.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

About how many seconds does sending or reading a text take your eyes off the road?
  1. 2 seconds
  2. 10 seconds
  3. 5 seconds
  4. 1 second

Answer: 5 seconds

Texting takes your eyes off the road for about 5 seconds, comparable to driving blindfolded across a football field at 55 mph.

Handbook p. 59 ↗
At 55 mph, how far does a vehicle travel while a driver reads or sends a text?
  1. About the length of a city block
  2. About a quarter mile
  3. Only a few car lengths
  4. A football field's length

Answer: A football field's length

At 55 mph, a 5-second glance away is like driving the length of a football field blindfolded.

Handbook p. 59 ↗
What percentage of driving decisions are based on what we see?
  1. 90%
  2. 50%
  3. 75%
  4. 99%

Answer: 90%

The handbook states that 90% of driving decisions are based on what we see.

Handbook p. 59 ↗
What does the handbook say about 'multi-tasking' while driving?
  1. It lets you handle two tasks at once
  2. The brain shifts fast between one task at a time
  3. It only affects new drivers
  4. It is safe for experienced drivers

Answer: The brain shifts fast between one task at a time

The handbook explains that true multi-tasking doesn't exist; your brain rapidly shifts between tasks instead.

Handbook p. 59 ↗
Rubbernecking, or slowing down to stare at a roadside incident, can increase traffic congestion.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Slowing to stare at incidents not only risks a rear-end crash but can also increase congestion.

Handbook p. 61 ↗
Why does the handbook single out texting as the most alarming driving distraction?
  1. It is the only distraction that is illegal statewide
  2. It combines manual, visual, and mental distraction
  3. It is illegal in every Montana city
  4. It is the most common distraction

Answer: It combines manual, visual, and mental distraction

Texting is uniquely dangerous because it involves manual, visual, and cognitive distraction simultaneously.

Handbook p. 59 ↗
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