Anyone who is driving a motor vehicle must give his or her entire attention to that huge responsibility. Any distractions that occur while driving can lead to an accident. In fact, more than 1,153 people are injured in distracted driving crashes in the country each day. More than nine people are killed daily in these accidents.
What are the risk factors for distracted driving?
Drivers who are under 20 years old are at an increased risk of driving while distracted. Drivers who text or do other activities while they are driving are also at an increased risk of being involved in a distracted driving accident. The longer a driver is distracted, the higher the chance that the driver will be involved in an accident.
What are the different types of distractions that might occur while driving?
There are three types of distractions that can affect drivers. Cognitive distractions are ones that take your mind and focus off of driving. Visual distractions are those that require you to look at something other than the road. Manual distractions are those that require you to take your hands off of the steering wheel while your vehicle is in motion. Some distractions, such as texting, do all three. A driver's focus on the message on the phone, they use a hand to check the text or send a text and they take their eyes off the road to look at the phone.
The sad reality is that distracted driving crashes can be fatal. Filing a wrongful death might be something to consider if you lost a loved one in a distracted driving crash.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Distracted Driving," accessed Jan. 15, 2016