What Are the Three Main Types of Distracted Driving?

At the start of the auto revolution, there were no car radios, GPS, or cell phones. There also weren’t any windshield wipers or seat belts. Through the years, car makers have added more and more features to their vehicles. Today, there is a lot of technology that is standard with every automobile. Sadly, that presents a lot of opportunities for motorists to succumb to one of the three main types of distracted driving.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Nine people in the United States are killed every day in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.” That makes distracted driving an ongoing problem for everyone on the road. One of the most effective ways to prevent distracted driving is to recognize the three types of distractions that you might engage in while driving.

Visual Distracted Driving

As the name implies, visual distracted driving is when you take your eyes off the road for longer than two seconds. You must constantly check the road ahead, the lanes on either side, and your rear-view mirror when driving. Those checks can probably be accomplished in less than two seconds.

However, you could easily take your eyes off the road for longer than two seconds if you are talking to a passenger next to you or the kids in the backseat. You could also take your eyes off the road if you check on a pet. Gawking at a roadside accident, billboard, or other signage can pull your focus off the road as well.

How bad can a visual distraction be? If you are driving at 55 mph and take time to send a text, it would be like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

Cognitive Distracted Driving

A cognitive distraction can be considered a “mental break” when driving. You could be worried about a meeting or interview you’re driving to. You could also think about a conversation you just had that you wish had gone a different way. Those are mild forms of cognitive distractions.

Listening to the radio or an audiobook is another example of mild cognitive distraction. The same can be said for a conversation on a hands-free cell. However, if you try to send a speech-to-text, you are increasing your level of pulling your focus off the road. This doesn’t mean that you need to turn off the radio when driving. You just want to avoid losing track of the road around you.

Manual Distracted Driving

Manual distracted driving might be the most problematic type of distraction, as it involves taking your hand off the wheel to deal with a task. This means that you are adjusting the control of your car, and your response time to recover from an incident is lessened.

Here are some examples of manual distracted driving tasks:

• Texting
• Holding a cell phone
• Eating and drinking
• Applying makeup
• Changing dashboard controls
• Picking up something that has fallen on the floor

The CDC finds that the most at-risk demographic group of distracted drivers are teen drivers from the age of 16 to 20.

Dealing With Driver Negligence

One of the ways that an attorney helps with your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit is to determine what type of negligence the other motorist engaged in. At Belsky & Horowitz, LLC, you’ll work with a team of experienced lawyers specializing in distracted driving accidents. We will provide you with the support and information you need to move forward with your claim.

Call for a free consultation to discuss the merits of your case.