It’s clear that distracted drivers are not safe for those around them on the road. They make mistakes, cause accidents and put others at risk when these risks could easily be avoided if they simply paid more attention to the road. Since understanding driving distractions is a good place to begin in efforts to reduce their frequency, let’s take a look at the three main forms.
The mental distraction
First off, remember that it’s possible to have your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel and still be distracted. This happens when people talk to their passengers, for instance, or use hands-free phone systems to make calls. Your brain can only process so much information, so introducing a new task inherently means dedicating less energy to driving.
The visual distraction
One of the greatest distractions is visual, which is when someone looks away from the road. It’s the reason that texting is so dangerous. Drivers often rely on their peripheral vision, or they try to look up every few seconds, but that’s just not enough to be safe. Things happen quickly on the road, and even a second of visual distraction can cause an accident.
The manual distraction
Manual distractions, or letting go of the steering wheel, are so common that many drivers don’t even know they are dangerous. If you have ever reached to change the radio station or taken a drink from a cup of coffee while driving, you’ve been distracted. Again, texting creates one of the riskiest manual distractions since it’s coupled with visual and cognitive issues.
Those who suffer injuries at the hands of distracted drivers need to know what legal options they have.