Distracted driving has become one of the biggest safety issues for modern drivers. Often, the main focus when discussing distracted driving is the use of mobile technology while operating a vehicle. Texting, reading an email or even manually dialing a phone can be dangerous while driving.
Interacting with mobile technology distracts someone mentally, takes their hands off of the wheel and forces them to look away from the road. There are numerous other actions that can be equally dangerous, although drivers may not be as cautious about these other forms of distraction. For example, the following common driving distractions tend to play a major role in overall collision risk.
Daydreaming while driving
Drivers don’t always keep their focus on the road. They plan out their day, compose an email that they intend to send when they reach their destination or review the grocery shopping list. Other people fantasize about their upcoming vacation or otherwise indulge in daydreaming. Cognitive distraction can be very dangerous, as it may prevent people from properly monitoring their surroundings. Even if other people can’t prove someone was daydreaming before a crash occurred, that could very easily be the underlying reason for a wreck.
Conversing with passengers
Passengers are a serious distraction risk for drivers in a variety of circumstances. Parents often find the presence of their children in a vehicle to be a source of distraction, while teenagers may have a hard time focusing on the road when they have other young adults in the vehicle with them. Even those carpooling on the way to work could become so focused on a conversation that they fail to properly monitor the road. Conversations using hands-free technology over a mobile phone can also cause a dangerous level of distraction.
Eating or drinking
Most people think nothing of enjoying a soda or a hot coffee while en route to a destination. Some people even try to enjoy a meal before getting to work or an appointment. Eating or drinking forces someone to take at least one hand off of the steering wheel and diminishes their cognitive focus on the road.
Avoiding distraction can help someone minimize their chances of causing a serious car crash. Drivers who learn about the biggest safety risks that motorists take may have an easier time reducing their risk of injury on the road.