Hundreds of thousands of injuries occur annually on U.S. roads because a driver was distracted. Any activity that takes a driver’s attention from driving or the road is considered a distraction.
For years, studies have heavily focused on cellphones and texting, but there are numerous potential distractions when behind the wheel. Three main categories are used to classify these distractions.
Visual distractions
These are activities that take a driver’s eyes off the road. These include looking at a phone, texting, checking the GPS, looking at billboards or scenery, staring at an accident, looking at passengers while talking and turning to look at kids or pets in the backseat. Visual distractions prevent a driver from identifying hazards, cause lane deviations and delay a driver’s reaction time.
Manual distractions
When a driver takes one or both hands off the steering wheel to engage in another activity, that is a manual distraction. Examples include texting, eating, smoking, adjusting the radio or climate controls, setting the navigation system, handling a child or pet, reaching for items or grooming.
A manual distraction reduces vehicle control. It can be difficult for a driver to respond safely to a sudden hazard with one or no hand on the wheel.
Cognitive distractions
A number of studies on how cognitive load (mental distractions) impacts driving performance have been done over the years. They have continually shown that a mental distraction diminishes awareness and reaction times. When a driver’s mind is off the task of driving, the risk of an accident can increase.
Cognitive distractions include having conversations, especially intense ones, over the phone or with passengers, daydreaming, stress and listening to music, a podcast or an audiobook — particularly an emotional or complex one.
A distracted driver endangers others on the road. If you were in an accident caused by such a driver, get more information about how to hold them responsible.