There are, of course, many different examples of distracted driving. A person who is on their phone is a distracted driver. A parent who is talking to their children is a distracted driver. Many of the everyday things that people do in their vehicles actually count as distractions and may increase the odds of car accidents, whether the drivers realize it or not.
But distracted driving itself can be broken down into three different categories, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are as follows:
In some ways, visual distractions may be the most common. Any time that a person looks at something that takes their attention away from driving or the road in general, they can cause an accident. Examples could include looking down at the cellphone or even looking over to read a billboard. Another common example is when there has already been an accident and drivers are gawking at the scene, causing chain-reaction accidents.
Drivers are supposed to have two hands on the wheel at all times, with one foot positioned to use the pedals. Anything that prevents this, such as reaching to pick something up or changing the radio station, is a manual distraction. Even things that you have to do, like adjusting your rear-view mirror or your side mirrors, are technically still distractions if you do them while you’re driving.
The only thing that could be more common than visual distractions are cognitive distractions, or mental distractions, but they’re harder to track. Drivers should always be thinking about what they’re doing at the moment, even when it feels routine and boring. Any type of daydreaming or mind wandering can lead to car accidents. Drivers will sometimes become distracted on their commute, when it’s a road that they take every day, or when stressful events are taking place in their life and they can’t stop thinking of them in the car.
What if you get hit by another driver?
If you get injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, you may be able to seek financial compensation for medical bills and other costs.