Texting while driving has become a well-known safety concern for modern motorists. Every year, thousands of people end up injured or worse in crashes caused by people handling their phones to read or send text messages.
Texting while driving is a particularly dangerous form of distraction. It involves all three types of distraction recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People experience manual distraction because they take their hands off the wheel. They experience visual distraction by looking at their phones instead of the road. They also experience cognitive distraction because they mentally focus on their devices instead of on traffic. Choosing not to text while driving is the safest choice. However, there are other behaviors that can be just as distracting as handling a mobile phone.
Eating and drinking
Professionals running late for work and those with particularly long commutes might enjoy their breakfast or morning cup of coffee on the way to work. While that may seem like a smart choice, the reality is that they open themselves up to substantial risk. They generally need to take at least one hand off of the wheel to hold their food or beverage. The possibility of spilling items also enhances the risk involved in eating and drinking while driving.
Talking with passengers or on hands-free systems
Conversations can be profoundly distracting. When the other participant in the conversation is physically present, the driver may feel compelled to look at them and make eye contact. They might even take their hands off of the wheel to gesture to reinforce what they say. Unfortunately, not even hands-free technology eliminates the distraction risk inherent in having emotional or complex conversations while in control of a motor vehicle.
Daydreaming
Cognitive distraction is almost impossible to prove. That doesn’t make it any less distracting than types of distraction that leave physical or digital evidence. People thinking about their weekend plans or going over their to-do list at work may fail to continually monitor their surroundings the way that they need to for optimal safety. They might enter an intersection without yielding or swerve into a vehicle in the next line of traffic that was clearly visible if only they had looked first. Those injured by distracted drivers can potentially hold them financially accountable for the crash that occurred and any injuries that resulted. Proving distraction can help in many cases but may not be necessary in every scenario.
So long as the circumstances of the crash make it clear that one driver engaged in unsafe behavior, that may be sufficient to help those affected file an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. Knowing how to respond to a distracted driving crash can help people to defray their financial losses and demand accountability from irresponsible motorists.
