When a driver is behind the wheel, his or her only priority is the safe operation of the vehicle. Each person is responsible for avoiding dangerous and reckless actions that could put them and others at risk, including different types of distraction. While the main reason for distracted driving is phone use, there are other things that take a driver’s attention and result in a serious motor vehicle accident.
In addition to there being different reasons for distracted driving, there are also different types of distraction as well. These can impact a driver in different ways, but they are all dangerous and preventable. By learning about the different types of distraction, you may be able to understand the impact of distraction and what you can do to stay as safe as possible while driving in Illinois.
The three categories of distraction and their impact
When you think about distracted driving, you may think about the act of picking up a phone while also operating a vehicle. While this is distracting and dangerous, different types of distraction affect drivers in different ways, including with information processing, vision and more. The different types of distraction include:
- Cognitive distraction — This type of distraction affects a driver’s mind. This happens when a driver loses focus for any reason, which can happen even with two hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
- Manual distraction — This happens when a driver removes one or both hands from the steering wheel, either to adjust the radio, type a text, take a sip of coffee or for any other reason.
- Visual distraction — This includes anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, such as looking at a billboard, scrolling a phone, looking for something that dropped on the floorboard and more.
One thing that makes phone use so dangerous is that it involves all three forms of distraction. Regardless of the reason for the distraction, a driver is accountable for the choices he or she makes behind the wheel. If you are suffering because of the reckless or negligent actions of another driver, you may have legal options available to you. This could include seeking compensation though the civil justice system.
