Lexus, Team One Show Dangers of Texting & Driving In 4.6 Seconds

How long do you think it takes to glance at a text message when you’re driving? One second? Two seconds? Most drivers believe that texting and driving creates only a momentary distraction.

With the help of agency partner Team One, Lexus has created a new video called “Driving Disrupted,” to shatter this common misconception. The average length of time it actually takes to send or receive a text message when you’re behind the wheel is 4.6 seconds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

April is national Distracted Driving Awareness Month, so the brand wanted to bring awareness to safety behind the wheel by changing perceptions about texting and driving. The new video demonstrates exactly what happens when drivers can no longer see the road for 4.6 seconds. Participants get behind the wheel of a Lexus NX on a closed course, thinking they’re taking the vehicle for a routine test drive. What they don’t know is that they’re not driving an ordinary NX. They’re driving a one-of-a-kind specially modified vehicle called the NX 4.6. It’s equipped with electrochromic technology that turns the windshield and windows from transparent to opaque instantaneously, completely obscuring the driver’s view for 4.6 seconds. The video captures the chaos that ensues.

“Lexus wants to bring awareness to safety behind the wheel by changing perceptions about texting and driving,” said Vinay Shahani, VP of Lexus marketing. “Even the most advanced safety systems on the road today can’t replace the undivided attention of the driver.”