Drivers face many distractions when they drive. A crash can cause drivers to rubberneck and cause secondary accidents. A phone call can take a driver’s mind and eyes off of the road. A child in the back seat can be distracting as they make demands and ask for assistance.
Overall, though, most distractions can be divided into three main categories. As you’ll see, some distractions fit into multiple categories at the same time. The three categories are as follows:
Manual distractions
Driving a car may feel routine, but it’s a complex physical task. A driver always needs to have his or her hands on the controls. Anything that causes the driver to let go of the wheel, even for a second, is a manual distraction. Examples include picking up a phone or handing a snack to a child.
Cognitive distractions
Focus and attention are also required to drive safely. Anything that is mentally distracting is a cognitive distraction for a driver. It could be as simple as thinking about something else, like a project at work or marital issues at home, while driving. This type of distraction is often invisible to outsiders.
Visual distractions
When a driver doesn’t look at the road, they’re being visually distracted. The most common example is texting and driving, but even looking over to talk to your passenger counts as a distraction. A driver may miss warning signs or not react as well to the things that are happening around them on the road.
Have you been injured by a distracted driver? If so, you may be able to seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages and a host of other costs.