What does it mean to drive distracted to you as a driver? Distracted driving means engaging or participating in an activity while operating a vehicle, which leaves you as a driver prone to hazards on and off the road. According to the National Road Safety Foundation, there are three different types of distractions while on the road.
Visual distractions are the most obvious and common cause of accidents and are caused by the driver removing his or her eyes from immediate surroundings. The second type is a manual distraction, and this usually refers to a driver taking the hands off of the wheel or even speeding. The third type is called cognitive distraction. Cognitive distraction is when you let your mind drift away from focusing on driving, which may result in an unfortunate event on the road.
That is why texting while driving is the most dangerous form of distracted driving; because it involves taking your hand and eyes off the road, and it sways your mind away from driving as safely as possible. That is primarily why in the last 10 years 46 states including the District of Columbia have passed laws that prohibit drivers texting while driving. However, keep in mind that there are still other common distractions such as eating, changing the radio, putting on make-up, rubbernecking, passengers, and sometimes people even reading while driving. All of these are very dangerous distractions.
Between all of the above-mentioned distractions, it’s an average of three seconds at a time that your eyes are not focused on the road in front of you. If you were to close your eyes right now and count to three and then imagine a child on a bike unknowingly riding in front of you, or even a driver attempting to change lanes unsafely, you’ll probably realize that it only takes a split second for you to let something bad happen while not paying attention to what you’re doing behind the wheel.
Please help raise awareness on the road this month. April is the national distracted driving awareness month, and now you are aware of the dangers driving distracted possesses so drive safely!