Drivers have to be able to give their entire attention to their driving duties, or they risk causing a crash that injures an innocent person. It surprises some drivers to realize that some activities they’ve always thought they could do while they drive are actually distractions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes cognitive, visual and manual distractions as problematic for drivers. Some activities may cause only one of those types of distractions, but most will involve more than one.
Unexpected causes of distractions
Actions that drivers don’t think twice about are distractions. These can include things like checking on children in the back seat, getting a sip of a beverage, eating a bite of food, looking at a billboard or adjusting the temperature. There are also distractions that are very obvious, such as using a cellphone or putting on makeup.
Duration of the distraction
Some drivers think they can drive safely if they’re only distracted for a short time. The truth is that even a five-second distraction can be devastating. In that time, a vehicle can go the length of a football field if it’s going 55 miles per hour. That distance is long enough for a catastrophic crash to occur.
Anyone who suffers an injury in a distracted driving crash should get immediate medical attention. This can be costly, particularly if the injuries are catastrophic. It’s critical that anyone who’s facing this situation learns about their options for seeking compensation. This can help them to get the cost of medical care and other related expenses covered by the negligent driver. Working with someone familiar with these matters can benefit victims because they’ll have time to heal while their attorney works on their case.