Drivers should never use their cellphones while they are behind the wheel. If they are in control of the car, they need to be focused on driving. A cellphone is a serious distraction that could cause an accident. These distracted driving accidents take thousands of lives every year.
Part of the problem is that a cellphone doesn’t just create one distraction: It creates three of them simultaneously. Let’s take a look at how this works.
Manual distraction
Say that a driver decides to text in the car. The first step is to dig their phone out of their pocket and unlock the screen. They then hold the phone in their hand while they write the text message. All of this is a manual distraction because they should have both hands on the wheel.
Visual distraction
As the driver manipulates their phone, they probably look down at the screen. Even if they glance back-and-forth, from the road to the phone, they are still visually distracted. They could miss important details, like a green light turning yellow.
Cognitive distraction
Finally, the driver has to think about what they are doing on the phone. This could be as simple as locating their preferred texting app. But they may also think about what they want to write in their text message, or they may read a message that someone else sent to them. All of this is a mental distraction that means they are not focused on driving – even when they are looking at the road.
In this way, cellphones are one of the most common distractions in the United States. If you have been injured by a negligent distracted driver, you need to know how to seek financial compensation.
