If you’re like most people in New York, you use your cell phone several times throughout the day. In fact, you may consider your mobile device to be an essential part of your life. With the meteoric rise in mobile phone usage over the last decade, distracted driving accidents have also increased exponentially. When you’re driving and look down at your phone for a moment, it is enough time for you to cause a serious or fatal car accident.
Whenever you hear the words “distracted driving,” you may immediately think about texting or using a cell phone behind the wheel. However, you may not be aware that there are many different types of distracted driving. Distracted driving is any action that takes your focus from the road or your hands from the wheel. Here are a few different types of distracted driving.
Manual distractions
A manual distraction is anything that causes you to take your hands off the steering wheel. This can be anything from reaching for your cell phone or changing the radio station to taking a drink of water. These kinds of distractions can slow down your reaction time if you suddenly need to take swift action because of an unexpected obstacle.
Cognitive distractions
Cognitive distractions while driving can be exceptionally dangerous. These kinds of distractions can affect your mental state or orientation. Examples of cognitive distractions are daydreaming, singing along to the song on the radio or talking with passengers. Also, driving in a sad, angry or anxious state can affect your attentiveness behind the wheel.
Auditory distractions
Just as the name implies, auditory distractions are sound-based and can be any noise that interferes with your hearing or takes your attention from the road. Common auditory distractions are listening to loud music, making phone calls or yelling at other drivers. When you are listening to music when driving, be sure to keep the volume at a reasonable level so that it does not distract you from focusing on the road.
Visual distractions
Visual distractions are possibly the most common forms of distracted driving. Visual distractions come in many forms and are anything that redirects your eyes from the road. The most familiar type of visual distraction is your cell phone. When driving, so many things can happen in a split second, so it’s critically important to always keep your eyes on the road.
The aftermath of an accident
In most states, there are laws that outlaw and discourage using your phone while driving. Distracted driving can be as bad, if not worse, than driving while intoxicated. Unfortunately, you can only control your actions and cannot control what other drivers do. If you have suffered injuries or the loss of an immediate family member because of a negligent driver, there are options available to help you in the aftermath.
