The Three Types of Distracted Driving
Driving your vehicle demands that you give your full attention to the task. However, many find themselves getting comfortable with the task and are more willing to split their attention to other distractions.
Regardless of how experienced you are, the more you allow yourself to be distracted behind the wheel, your odds of being involved in a car collision increase.
In order to best understand and ultimately avoid distracted driving, it is important to know the three forms that it takes place as.
1. Manual
Manual distractions are any task that requires you to take one or both of your hands off of the wheel. This includes activities such as:
- Smoking
- Digging through a personal bag or wallet
- Eating and drinking
- Adjusting a child’s seat belt
2. Visual
A visual distraction is anything that causes your gaze to no longer be on the road in front of you. This can be:
- Searching for items in your car
- Adjusting your GPS
- Adjusting the radio or air conditioning settings
- Admiring scenery
3. Cognitive
Cognitive distractions are the things that interfere with your mind’s focus. These commonly look like:
- An emotional or heated conversation with another passenger
- Thinking about an upsetting memory
- Road rage
- Driving while impaired on drugs or alcohol
The Most Common Distracted Driving, and One of the Most Dangerous
Certain activities can fall under multiple categories on this list. These tasks are extra dangerous and require far more attention to complete than what is safe while you are driving.
The most common task that does this is texting and driving. This is, unfortunately, one of the most common types of distracted driving, and it is usually the one people think of first when they hear the term.
Texting and driving is especially dangerous because it falls under all three distracted driving categories. It requires you to be looking at your phone instead of the road, your hands to be typing instead of on the wheel, and your mind concentrating on your conversation instead of your changing surroundings.
Calling Our Team
If you have been injured in an accident due to a distracted driver’s negligence, the attorneys at Veritas are here to help. We have dealt with these cases hundreds of times, and we have the skills to get you the same results. Call our office today and schedule your free consultation. We want to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Call us today at (970) 292-7171 and allow us to give you the assistance you need.