In today’s busy world, multi-tasking has become second-nature, but the results can be devastating when drivers multi-task behind the wheel. Distracted driving risks not only the driver’s life but the lives of others on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 3,308 lives lost to distracted driving in a single recent year. NHTSA describes distracted driving as “Any activity that diverts attention from driving.”
There are three types of distracted driving in Colorado that most commonly cause serious car accidents in Westminster, with injuries and fatalities.
Visual Distractions While Driving
A visual distraction takes the driver’s eyes away from the road. Today, smartphones are the most common cause of visual distractions while driving. Distracted driving accident numbers have skyrocketed since cell phones have become central to our lives. Common examples of visual distractions include the following:
- Texting or reading a text
- Checking notifications or email
- Scrolling through social media
- Selecting a podcast or playlist
- Setting a GPS app
- Reading
Visual distractions also include distractions outside of the vehicle that draw a driver’s eyes away from the road, such as roadside accidents or breakdowns.
Visually distracted drivers may fail to see a hazard in the roadway ahead or may miss a stop sign or signal light. Accidents such as rear-end collisions, T-bone accidents in intersections, head-on collisions, and roadway departures sometimes result from visual distractions. Some visual distractions on the roadside draw the driver’s attention in a way that causes them to steer in that direction (target fixation).
This results in multi-car collisions or accidents, such as a driver hitting a police officer who has pulled over another driver. Contact our personal injury attorneys for help on your unique case.
Manual Distractions Behind the Wheel
Manual distractions occur when a driver takes one or both hands off the steering wheel to perform tasks unrelated to vehicle operation. Examples include:
- Making hands-on phone calls or texts
- Eating and drinking
- Grooming, such as brushing hair or applying makeup
- Adding sugar and creamer to coffee
- Retrieving dropped items
Removing even one hand from the wheel adversely affects a driver’s ability to control the vehicle in an emergency and reduces reaction times, causing car or truck accidents such as head-on collisions, roadway departures, and rollovers.
Cognitive Distraction While Driving
Driver distraction doesn’t always come from tangible items like cell phones or fast food. When a driver’s attention strays from the task of driving, they may miss crucial traffic events or road hazards and fail to react in time to avoid an accident. Common examples of cognitive distractions include the following:
- Deep daydreaming
- Having distracting conversations with passengers
- Talking on the phone (even when hands-free)
- Driving while under emotional stress or anxiety
- Becoming deeply engrossed in a podcast, audiobook, or music
- Interacting with children in the backseat
Cognitive distractions are the most difficult to avoid, but drivers should do their best to minimize attention-diverting behaviors while behind the wheel.
The most dangerous distracted driving behaviors are those that combine any of the above distractions, such as holding a cell phone and scrolling through social media while driving.
Distracted Driving Liability
When a distracted driver causes an accident, they are liable for the damages to other motorists. Often, these damages extend far beyond damage to a vehicle and include injuries or fatalities and the physical, emotional, and financial consequences that come with them. Contact us today for a free consultation.