Driving Distracted: It Includes More Than Cell Phones
When we talk about distracted driving, the first image that might come to mind is an irresponsible teenager who is texting or talking on the phone while driving. But, distracted driving includes more than just using cell phones. Every day on the road, drivers are surrounded by people putting on makeup, shaving, or eating while they are driving. Read on to learn more about some of the most common types of distractions on the road and what to do if you experience an accident or injury at the hands of one of these careless drivers, including contacting an accident lawyer in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
Types of Major Distraction
Distracted driving means driving while also performing another activity that takes any attention away from the task at hand, and distracted driving has dangerous consequences. Every day in the United States alone, more than 1,000 people are injured, and at least 10 people are killed in incidents involving a distracted driver. According to Distraction.gov, there are three types of major distraction:
- Manual: taking your hands off the wheel
- Visual: taking your eyes off the road
- Cognitive: taking your mind off of driving
Distracting Activities
Some of the primary activities people do that lead to distracted driving include texting, eating, and talking on the phone. Eating while driving, while not illegal, is extremely dangerous – especially due to the human response to want to clean up a spill as soon as it happens. There is no safe speed to drive while eating.
Another common, and hazardous, driving distraction applies primarily to women: applying makeup. Not only are you engaging in two of the three types of major distraction – taking your eyes off the road and your hands off the wheel – but people who apply makeup while driving also put themselves at extra risk. For example, if you rear-end someone while applying eyeliner or mascara, there is definitely a risk of stabbing yourself in the eye with the wand.
According to Brad Sinclair, an accident attorney in Cocoa Beach, there are also other activities that can be dangerous on the road. Plugging an address into your GPS? Pull over first. Texting your boss you’re going to be late? You’re already late; a few extra seconds aren’t going to hurt your cause, so be sure to pull over and do this as safely as possible.
While any type of activity performed in conjuction with driving can be dangerous, texting is, perhaps, one of the worst culprits. That’s because texting involves all three types of major distraction. Texters are not looking at the road or thinking about driving, and at least one hand needs to be off the steering wheel to send a message.
What to Do After an Accident
After a crash – no matter what the cause – one of your first steps should be to contact an accident attorney in Cocoa Beach. Brad Sinclair of Sinclair Law can help, especially when it comes to the most complicated aspect of dealing with the aftermath of an accident: insurance. Whether or not you’ve been injured due to someone else’s carelessness, an accident lawyer in Cocoa Beach, like the experts at Sinclair Law, can help. Contact us today to learn more.