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There are 3 types of distracted driving

On Behalf of | Jun 13, 2022 | Motor Vehicle Collisions

Distracted driving has become a big topic in recent years. People often assume that it refers to texting and driving, and they’re often correct. Texting in the car is a dangerous activity that people have engaged in since the development of the smartphone, and it has made the roads much less safe.

But when you’re really thinking about distracted driving, you don’t want to just think about one specific activity. It’s more important to think about the type of distraction and how it is classified. When you do that, you’ll find that there are three main types.

Manual distractions

The first type is manual distractions, and these are the kind of distractions that involve you taking your hands away from the vehicle’s controls. Texting and driving is a good example of this because someone who is holding a phone in one hand and typing with the other is not controlling the car properly.

Visual distractions

The second type is a visual distraction, which simply means that the driver isn’t looking where they should be as they operate the vehicle. They should always watch the road around them or traffic directly in front of them. When someone turns their head to talk to a passenger, this is a visual distraction.

Cognitive distractions

Perhaps the hardest distractions to avoid are cognitive or mental distractions. You’re still distracted if you’re thinking about something else, even if you have kept your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. Someone can become cognitively distracted simply by daydreaming, for example, or due to the song or audiobook that they’re listening to in the car.

All these distractions can lead to severe car accidents, and those who are injured in these accidents need to know if they can seek financial compensation.