Now that even middle school students expect to have their own phones, digital distraction has become a major concern on modern roads. Unfortunately, a bit too much of people’s safety practice focuses on mobile phone use at the wheel.
Yes, texting or posting to social media while you drive is a dangerous distraction that could cause a crash. However, distraction at the wheel comes in many forms and from many places. You don’t have to have a digital device in your vehicle at all to fall victim to distraction.
Learning the three different kinds of distraction can help you make safer decisions at the wheel and avoid drivers engaged in dangerous behavior.
The three kinds of distraction focus on how actions impact your ability
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention break distracted driving down into three categories. It’s important to realize that many forms of distraction fall into more than one of these three categories.
The first type of distraction is visual distraction. It happens when you look down at your lap to check your phone or make eye contact with your passenger instead of continuing to monitor traffic.
The second kind of distraction involves taking your hands off the wheel. Manual distraction could stem from adjusting the radio or having a snack on your way to work.
Finally, cognitive distraction involves mentally focusing on something other than driving. Singing along to the radio, talking to someone or even listening to a book on tape while you drive can also cause dangerous cognitive distraction that leads to a crash.
Avoiding all forms of distraction, even when it doesn’t involve technology, can help you limit your chances of causing a motor vehicle collision. If you are injured by another driver who gets distracted, you may be able to seek compensation.