• Mayo Clinic Minute: How 5 Seconds Can Prove Deadly

a driver holding a cell phone and texting while driving distractedEating breakfast, fixing your hair, programming the radio — there are so many ways to get distracted while you drive. And, smartphones are making matters worse.

The U.S. Transportation Department calls distracted driving a dangerous epidemic. In 2014 alone, 3,129 people in the U.S. were killed and many more were injured in crashes that reportedly involve a distracted driver.

In this Mayo Clinic Minute, go behind the wheel of a driving simulator to see how taking your eyes off the road for even a short text can lead to a accident. Jeff Olsen reports.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (1:07) is in the downloads. Read the script.