Distracted Driving: Things That Commonly Distract Drivers
Driver distractions pose significant dangers on the road, being the primary cause of many vehicle collisions and near misses. Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) reveals that 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near collisions involve some form of driver distraction. These distractions typically occur within seconds before the incident, underscoring the critical need for heightened awareness and responsible driving practices to prevent accidents and ensure road safety.
Understanding Distracted Driving and the Most Common Causes
“Distracted driving” refers to any activity that diverts a driver’s attention away from the primary task of operating a vehicle safely. This impairment can involve visual distractions (taking eyes off the road), manual distractions (taking hands off the wheel), and cognitive distractions (taking the mind off driving).
The three categories of distracted driving are:
- Visual Distractions: Activities that cause a driver to take their eyes off the road, such as looking at a phone, GPS, or reading signs.
- Manual Distractions: Actions that cause a driver to remove one or both hands from the steering wheel, such as eating, drinking, or adjusting controls.
- Cognitive Distractions: Mental distractions that divert a driver’s focus from driving, such as daydreaming, talking on the phone, or engaging in intense conversations with passengers.
The usual situations that cause distracted driving include:
- Cell Phone Use: Texting, calling, or using apps while driving is the primary cause of distracted driving accidents. These activities divert attention from the road and increase the risk of collisions.
- Inattention to the Road: This occurs when drivers fail to focus on driving due to daydreaming, fatigue, or being lost in thought. It reduces reaction times and awareness of surroundings, including traffic signals, signs, or hazards.
- External Distractions: This includes distractions outside the vehicle, such as billboards, roadside incidents, or other events that draw a driver’s attention away from driving.
- Passenger-Related Distractions: Conversations or interactions with passengers that divert a driver’s attention from the road, leading to reduced concentration and increased accident risk.
- Multitasking: Attempting to perform other tasks while driving, like eating, grooming, or adjusting music controls, which impairs the driver’s ability to maintain control and focus on the road.
What Is ‘Designed’ Distraction and How Does it Contribute to Accidents?
A trend in modern car manufacturing involves replacing knobs, buttons, and sliders with touchscreen controls. Manufacturers save costs by simplifying production and eliminating physical controls while boasting about how cutting-edge the new cars are. Despite marketing claims of modernity, these screens can compromise safety on the road by prioritizing aesthetic appeal over practical usability.
A major advantage of tactile controls is that they provide immediate physical feedback and allow drivers to develop muscle memory. This enables quick and intuitive operations without looking away from the road. Touch screens lack this tactile feedback, making it harder for drivers to operate them without visual confirmation.
Without physical feedback, touch screens require drivers to take their eyes off the road to locate and interact with virtual buttons or menus. This visual diversion can lead to a significant loss of situational awareness, particularly during critical driving moments. Unlike tactile controls that can be operated by feel, touch screens demand precise manual interaction, often requiring multiple taps or gestures to perform functions. This manual requirement increases drivers’ time engaging with the screen rather than focusing on driving.
Furthermore, interacting with touch screens can impose a higher cognitive load on drivers. They must process visual information, make decisions based on menu navigation, and execute commands—all while managing driving tasks. This cognitive burden can impair reaction times and decision-making abilities.
How Distracted Driving Can Increase the Risk of Accidents
Distractions significantly elevate accident risk and severity by impairing drivers’ abilities in several critical ways. They decrease reaction times and hinder decision-making processes, which are important for avoiding sudden hazards. Distraction diminishes awareness of surroundings, making drivers less likely to promptly anticipate and respond to potential dangers. This increases the likelihood of rear-end collisions due to delayed braking and lane departures caused by drifting attention.
Moreover, distractions contribute to a higher incidence of accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles overall, as drivers struggle to maintain focus on the road and react swiftly to changing traffic conditions.
Our Long Beach Car Accident Attorneys Can Help
If you’ve been in a car accident caused by distracted driving, you might be entitled to legal compensation for your injuries. The experienced lawyer at The Law Firm of Joseph H. Low IV can help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
Contact our car accident attorney in Long Beach at The Law Firm of Joseph H. Low IV. Call (562) 901-0840 for a free initial consultation with our lawyer today.