3 main forms of distracted driving

On Behalf of | Feb 21, 2024 | Personal Injury

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, there are fair odds that you were hit by a distracted driver. These types of accidents have become much more common over the last decade or so, since the invention of the smartphone.

Part of the problem is that there are actually three different forms of distracted driving. They may happen independently, or they may all happen at once. Below are the three categories used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Manual distractions

When a driver is using their hands for a task other than driving the car, it’s a manual distraction. An example of this is reaching down to change the radio station or handing snacks to a child in the backseat.

Visual distractions

When a driver is looking away from the road and the traffic around them, they are visually distracted. Some distractions are outside of the car, like billboards or other accidents. Some distractions are within the car, like looking at a map or writing a text message.

Cognitive distractions

Finally, drivers do have to remember that they can be mentally distracted so that they’re not focused on driving safely. They may still appear to be engaged, as they are looking at the road and holding the steering wheel. But a cognitive distraction could include getting lost in thought, daydreaming or just having your mind wander. Some studies report that these types of accidents are much more common than people realize.

If you’ve been injured in an accident that a distracted driver caused, then you need to know about your legal options to seek financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other costs.