Avoiding the Major Causes of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving has become one of the major causes of traffic accidents as drivers multitask while on the roadway. According to the Insurance Information Institute, 9 percent of the fatal traffic accidents in 2019 were due to distracted driving. Hundreds of thousands of people suffered injuries in accidents caused by distraction. Learn from our Myrtle Beach car accident lawyers what causes these distractions and how to avoid them can help keep motorists, their passengers and others sharing the roadway safer.
Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers
When you’ve suffered injuries in a traffic accident, Jeff Morris is there for you. We handle negotiations with the insurance company to get you the best possible result, and our attorneys work hard right from the beginning to get you the compensation you deserve. Phone us at (803) 232-0944 or (803) 470-4444, and we will schedule your free, no-obligation case review. You can also reach out to us online if that is more convenient.
Different Types of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is any activity that removes the driver’s attention from the road. There are four different types of distractions that increase the risk of an accident as follows:
- Visual distractions cause the driver to avert their gaze from the road. These types of distractions can range from texting, reaching for a drink in the cupholder and changing the radio station to rubbernecking when passing an accident.
- Cognitive distractions happen when the driver’s thoughts turn elsewhere other than the surrounding traffic and the road ahead. The driver’s mind may turn to an appointment, errands, taking a child to soccer practice or other things. Although this may seem like a small distraction, it can heavily impact driving safety.
- Manual distractions include activities that take the driver’s hand from the wheel such as reaching for a snack, texting or putting on sunglasses. When a driver has only one hand on the wheel, it lessens their ability to control the vehicle in an emergency.
- Auditory distractions such as loud music on the radio, sirens or the children fussing in the backseat can lead to an accident because the driver’s attention is directed elsewhere.
Common Distractions While Driving
The distractions in the list that follows are those that are the most common. Any of these can lead to a serious accident involving injuries or fatalities, so having a duty of care toward others is important for everyone’s safety. They include:
- Texting is a major cause of distracted driving accidents. Since someone reading or sending a text message takes their hand, thoughts, and eyes off the roadway for around five seconds, when traveling at 55 mph, the vehicle moves the length of a football field. That’s plenty of time to cause a collision.
- Carrying on a long discussion with passengers is another type of distraction. Keeping conversations short to keep your mind on the task at hand can help avoid a traffic accident.
- Leaning over to change a radio station, climate control, plug your cell phone in to charge or access GPS requires multiple distractions. Making these adjustments before leaving in the car can help prevent an accident.
- Focusing on something on the side of the road such as a police stop or accident is a major distraction.
- Searching for something in the car results in visual, manual and cognitive distractions. If the driver drops something while driving, it’s much safer to either pull over and stop to find it or wait until they get home.
Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers - Getting You the Compensation You Deserve
The Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers is dedicated to protecting your rights. When you’ve been injured because of another person’s negligence, call us at (843) 232-0944 in the Myrtle Beach area or at (803) 470-4444 in Aiken.
