There are three general categories for driving distractions. As listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are: manual distractions, visual distractions and cognitive distractions.
Two of these tend to end as soon as the offending activity ends. If someone is holding their phone in their hand, it is a manual distraction, but it ends when they put the phone back in their pocket or set it on the seat next to them. If they are looking down at the screen, it is a visual distraction, but that also ends if they turn the phone off and look back at the road.
For this reason, people often assume that the cognitive distraction also ends at the same point. But studies have found that it tends to linger, and so a driver can be mentally distracted even when they do not realize it.
How long does it last?
Although every case is unique, studies have found that the distraction tends to last for around 27 seconds. This may not sound very long, but someone who is driving a car could travel hundreds of feet within that timeframe.
This also leads to accidents when drivers do not realize they are still distracted. A driver who is looking at their text messages at a red light may set their phone down when the light turns green, for example, but they could still be mentally distracted as they drive through the intersection.
Seeking compensation
Have you been injured in an accident caused by another driver? You need to know what legal options you have to seek financial compensation.