The use of handheld mobile devices has created a serious traffic safety hazard. Drivers who split their attention between their devices and the road may fail to notice changes in traffic conditions or a pedestrian stepping out onto the street. They can cause crashes that have catastrophic consequences for other people.
State lawmakers have enacted new statutes in an attempt to curtail dangerous driving distraction. There are rules prohibiting texting while driving. Drivers who violate the distracted driving statute risk citations and an allocation of responsibility if a crash occurs.
While people recognize that texting while driving isn’t safe, they may engage in various other types of distraction that can also increase their risk of a collision. Although those forms of distraction may not technically be against the law, they may still constitute negligence.
Distraction comes in many forms
Experts classify distraction into three main categories. There is a visual distraction that takes someone’s eyes off the road. There is manual distraction that forces them to take their hands off of the wheel. There’s also cognitive distraction that splits their mental focus between driving and other matters, including daydreams.
Digital devices are dangerous because they involve all three forms of distraction. Many other common activities can also evolve multiple types of distraction. Eating while driving can take someone’s hands off of the wheel and may lead to their cognitive focus shifting to their food even if they try not to look down at their meal.
Conversations with passengers or while using hands-free devices may lead to people trying to make eye contact with others or becoming seriously mentally distracted. Reaching for items in the backseat or grooming oneself are also common distractions that can result in preventable collisions.
People involved in crashes caused by distracted drivers may be able to take legal action even if the situation does not warrant a distracted driving citation. Negligence can make a driver responsible for a crash and could lead to the option of filing a claim against their insurance coverage.
Filing a lawsuit is also sometimes possible when distracted driving is the reason for a car crash. Motorists who recognize different behaviors that constitute distracted driving may have an easier time holding others accountable for bad behavior in traffic and defraying the expenses generated by a collision.
