Distracted driving is the act of operating a motor vehicle while engaging in another activity. It is by far the biggest cause of car accidents in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving caused 3,412 deaths in America in 2019. Many distracted driving occurrences are purposeful but some are not. There are three primary types of distracted driving that cause accidents: visual, manual, and cognitive.
Visual Distracted Driving
Visual distracted driving is when a driver takes their eyes off the road for any reason, and is the most common type of distraction. Examples of this include looking at an accident on the side of the road (also known as rubbernecking), looking at a passenger while talking to them, or looking at a billboard or some other object away from the road. This puts all drivers at risk.
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Manual Distracted Driving
Manual distracted driving is when the driver takes their hands off the wheel to attend to something else. Examples of this include eating or drinking, texting on your phone, or attending to the dashboard or radio. Even if you are looking at the road while doing this, it can be dangerous because it delays your reaction time if you need to make a sudden move. Every driver is instructed to always use two hands on the wheel.
Cognitive Distracted Driving
Cognitive distracted driving is when the driver’s mental attention is not on the road. This can be extremely dangerous since its appearance can be deceiving. The driver can have both eyes on the road and have both hands on the wheel but they could be paying little to no attention to where they are driving. This can happen when the driver is tired, or their mind drifts to thinking about other things. The driver’s reaction and decision-making abilities will decrease, opening the door for a severe accident.
Drunk driving is the main cause for deadly accidents. It occurs when a person’s abilities are impaired and they are unable to react in a way that they would while sober. Being drunk can lead to the aforementioned types of distracted driving.
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Contact a Lawyer if You Were Injured Due to Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a danger to all drivers on the roads. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident where the other driver was distracted, you might be entitled to compensation. The experienced lawyers at Claggett, Sykes & Garza are here to help you get the help you deserve. Contact our office today for consultation.
