There are many things that drivers have to pay attention to when they’re on the road. They must ensure that they’re taking all the necessary steps to remain safe as they drive. Because driving requires all of a driver’s attention, it’s critical that drivers aren’t distracted.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies a distraction as anything that makes the driver focus on something other than driving, including anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or mind off driving. Understanding a bit about distractions may be beneficial for anyone who’s impacted by a distracted driver.
Distractions can be simple or complex
Not all distractions are equal. Some can involve only one type of distraction, but others involve more than one. For example, responding to a text message involves visual, manual and cognitive distractions. Even though they vary, all distractions can lead to catastrophic crashes.
Even short distractions can be deadly
Some drivers falsely believe that short distractions aren’t a big deal. The fact is that even a quick distraction that’s as short as five seconds can lead to a devastating crash. At a highway speed of 55 miles per hour, a vehicle can go the length of a football field in that time. The average text message takes five seconds to read.
The victim of a distracted driving crash may suffer from injuries that affect them for the rest of their life. This can be costly, so they may decide that they want to seek compensation. The time to do this is set by state law, so it may be beneficial for these victims to work with someone who’s familiar with these cases.