The Different Ways to Be Distracted While Driving

A driving distraction is anything that takes your attention away from driving your vehicle safely. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),3,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in a single year in the U.S.

There are several different types of distracted driving, and each one is dangerous and often deadly. As people become busier and busier with seemingly less time to do everything they need to do at home or at work before getting in the car to drive, drivers are spending more time in their vehicles, often attempting to multitask doing other things while driving.

If a distracted driver hit you and caused you injuries, you need to hold them accountable for your losses. Speak with a Nashville personal injury attorney about a possible claim today.

Common Types of Distracted Driving

The Center for Disease Control (CDC)explains that there are three primary types of driving distractions, and these are as follows:

Visual Distractions

Visual driving distractions are those things that cause you to take your eyes off the road, even for a fraction of a second. Examples here include activities such as glancing at your GPS or phone, looking at your hands-free display in your car, or checking on kids in the back seat through the rearview mirror. The driver may have both hands on the wheel and thinks he or she knows what they are doing, but such visual distractions – no matter how short – are dangerous because they can often lead to accidents.

Manual Distractions

Manual distractions are those distractions that cause you to literally take your hands off the steering wheel while driving, such as taking a drink, eating, smoking, adjusting the radio, inputting directions on your navigation system, reaching for something on the floor, or using or trying to use your phone with one hand while trying to steer the car with the other.

Cognitive Distractions

Cognitive distractions are those things that take your focus and attention away from driving. This could be things such as talking to other passengers in the car, listening to a podcast, engaging in road rage, or even daydreaming. Being fatigued or stressed while driving can also fall in the same category.

Of all these types of distractions, driving while drowsy and losing focus on the road is a type of cognitive distraction that is suspected to contribute to over 100,000 accidents each year — and that includes 40,000 injuries and about 1,550 deaths.

At the same time, two of the most common distractions – talking on cell phones or texting while driving – are particularly dangerous because they both fall under all three types of distracted driving. It is for this reason that many states cracked down and enacted laws making the use of phones or texting illegal while driving.

A Nashville Personal Injury Lawyer is Here to Help

If you are the victim of an accident caused by a distracted driver, we can help you seek compensation for your injuries.Contact Bednarz Law today for a free consultation and to learn how a Nashville personal injury attorney can help.