Everyone knows that distracted driving is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. But fewer realize that distracted driving is far more than texting behind the wheel.
How much do you know about distracted driving? You might find out some additional information about this deadly habit.
It encompasses many actions
Most people have sipped on a cup of coffee or eaten a burger while in transit. But eating and drinking while driving are two other examples of driving distractions to avoid. Others include grooming tasks, adjusting dashboard controls, interacting with other passengers and children in the car and many other things.
It involves cognitive distraction
You can be vigilant about never checking your phone, but if you become so lost in your thoughts while driving, your brain could fail to process vehicles stopping up ahead.
It can also involve manual distractions
Reaching behind you for a toddler's dropped sippy cup, reprogramming a GPS device while driving or searching for something in a pocket or purse all require a drivers' hands to be off the steering wheel. This increases the likelihood of a wreck.
It's worse than drunk driving
The National Safety Council (NSC) states that when drivers use cellphones, they exhibit more signs of impairment than drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 percent. When using their phones, motorists drove more slowly and had more delayed reactions when braking than legally drunk drivers.
This is the trifecta of egregious distracted driving, as sending and reading texts involves visual, manual and cognitive distractions simultaneously — much more stimuli than the human brain is equipped to handle while driving.
Were you injured in an accident caused by a distracted motorist? You may need to file a claim for damages against the liable driver's auto insurance company.