You have almost certainly heard that driving while distracted is dangerous. What you might not realize is just how distracting some of the everyday things people do in their vehicles can be.
When people talk about distraction, what they often do not realize is that there are three types, and some activities can distract you in all three ways – creating a triple distraction effect.
Physical distraction
What are your hands doing when you are driving? They should both be on the wheel most of the time.
Visual distraction
What are your eyes looking at when you are traveling along? They should be looking in front, to the side and in your mirrors so that you have an up-to-date, ever-changing view of what is happening around you.
Cognitive distraction
What are you thinking about while driving? What is your attention and brain power focused on? It should be focused on the road.
Now, let’s look at a few examples of common activities drivers undertake and see what kinds of distraction might be at play.
Eating a burger is predominantly a physical distraction, but it could also have elements of visual and cognitive distraction to it.
Talking to a passenger is mainly cognitive, but if you turn toward them, it also becomes visual, and if you remove a hand from the wheel to gesture, it becomes physical too.
Learning how to show that a driver was distracted can help you get the compensation you need if they injure you in a crash. So many drivers are distracted so much of the time that it is always worth considering this avenue of investigation.