Did you know that 8 people are killed every day in the U.S. in an auto accident that involves distracted driving?
The statistics alone fail to truly show how severely distracted driving can affect people’s lives, if not outright take their lives. That’s why we should all learn the 3 types of distracted driving and how to avoid them.
If this is the first time for you to hear about the different types of distracted driving, no worries. You’ve come to the right place. Keep on reading for our full breakdown of the key 3 types of distracted driving, the differences between each type, as well as how to prevent distracted driving from happening.
The 3 Types of Distracted Driving
Let’s highlight the key types of distracted driving before talking about how to prevent unnecessary accidents.
In the simplest of terms, there are three types of distractions that have been identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Those are visual distractions, manual distractions, and cognitive distractions.
Visual Distraction
When you take your eyes off the road, that’s considered a visual distraction.
For example, when you look at your phone, when you’re looking at your GPS, and when you’re applying makeup or handling pets, all of those are considered instances of visual distraction.
Manual Distraction
This type of distraction is named appropriately. The instance you take your hands off the wheel, it’s considered to be a manual distraction.
Unfortunately, most of the people who are involved in distracted driving accidents are young. In some cases, teenagers would be handling their phones and texting while driving.
Cognitive Distraction
This type of distraction refers to anything that would take your mind and focus off driving.
If you’re thinking about your job, your grades, or even what you’ll be having for dinner, all of that’s considered a cognitive distraction.
A very dangerous form of cognitive distraction comes from micro-sleeping. This is the case when you’re running a sleep deficit, so your brain shuts down for a couple of seconds, which is something completely out of your own control.
How to Prevent Distracted Driving
Regardless of who’s at fault in a car accident, you’ll want to call 911 and an attorney when you need help.
For prevention purposes, there are a couple of actions you can take as either the driver or the passenger to prevent distracted driving. If you’re the driver, don’t multitask. Also, you can take advantage of the latest technologies and install an app that would reduce all forms of distractions while your car is in motion.
As a passenger, you can always speak up if you notice that the driver is rather distracted. You can also lend a hand when it comes to navigation or assisting with other tasks.
Focused Driving for a Safer World
We know that the statistics can be overwhelming, especially as a parent with teenage drivers or simply someone who wasn’t aware of the sheer magnitude of death and loss that comes from distracted driving.
Hopefully, our guide on the 3 types of distracted driving shed some light on the situation and help decrease the rates of auto accidents as much as possible.
Just remember that the moment your vehicle is in motion, you’ll want to keep your attention on driving, and driving only.