When you hear talk about distracted driving, you might have preconceptions about what that means.
Whatever comes into your head first, you probably understand that many other things can be distracting. For example, some passengers can be incredibly distracting, whether human or pets. Some electronic billboards can be incredibly distracting, and so on.
What many people fail to realize is that distraction can work on you in different ways:
1. They occupy you physically.
Maybe you grab a bottle of water or a can of soda to drink as you go along. That could turn out dangerous. If your hands are not holding the steering wheel, you will be less effective at yanking it in an emergency.
2. They occupy you visually.
Maybe your kids want you to put cartoons on the video screen in the front of the car. While it might help to keep them quiet, it may also be hard to avoid sneaking the odd glance at the screen to see what the kids are laughing so hard about. Looking at anything other than the road reduces your ability to spot hazards.
3. They occupy you mentally.
Maybe you are running through the presentation you need to do when you arrive. Perhaps you are thinking about last night’s date, or maybe you are talking to them via your hands-free set. Anything that occupies your mind limits your ability to think about the road.
Avoiding these things yourself is only part of the problem. The roads will still have many distracted drivers who could injure you. In that case, you may need to learn more about claiming compensation.