We are a country that thrives on multitasking. So whether we’re binge-watching our favorite TV show while folding laundry, listening to a new podcast while cooking dinner, or practicing our acceptance speech for an award (just in case) while showering, we’ve been conditioned to believe that doing two things at once is not only the most efficient use of our time but also possible.
Regardless of your feelings about the countless studies that show humans cannot fully multitask with any significant degree of success, you should not divide your attention between various tasks while driving a car.
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,000 are wounded every day in the United States due to distracted driving. In Florida, distracted driving is a significant issue.
Although every form of distracted driving is dangerous and can result in serious automobile accidents, the behaviors outlined below are the most common and, thus, the most difficult.
1. Using cell phone
We carry out different tasks on a cell phone while driving which leads to disastrous accidents.
– Texting and driving
Despite ongoing national safety campaigns urging drivers to avoid texting while driving, a recent survey conducted by a car insurance company found that 31% of drivers admitted to sending or receiving text messages while driving. In addition, nearly 75% of all drivers stated that they had witnessed others texting while driving. According to the report, more than half of all drivers between 18 and 34 text while going.
– Checking up on social media and email
Almost all modern automobiles have onboard navigation and entertainment systems, making it far too easy for drivers to send and receive text messages, check emails, and update their social media profiles on the fly.
Many people believe that these advances encourage distracted driving because they are always available and effortless to use. Although most of these functions can be handled hands-free, they nonetheless lead drivers to take their eyes off the road and their attention away from driving.
– Clicking pictures and making video
Drivers taking selfies and videos themselves while driving to post them to social media is another widespread type of distracted driving caused by using electronic devices such as cell phones. When you take your eyes, hands, or focus away from the road, you increase your chances of getting hurt in a significant car accident.
2. Talking to other passengers
Let’s be honest with ourselves. We’ll talk to fellow passengers whether we’re carpooling to work or driving with friends or family. There’s a benefit to having another set of eyes on the road. But it’s nullified when your concentration is diverted off the road by discussion. When the road conditions are hazardous, traffic patterns change abruptly, or the conversation distracts the driver, drivers and passengers must “store it for later.”
It’s important to remember that paying attention to the road always comes first. While it may seem natural to turn to gaze at a passenger during a discussion, it is one of the worst things you can do while driving.
3. Drowsiness and zoning out
Have you ever daydreamed while driving a familiar route or on a long commute? It’s a rather typical occurrence. You might have been a little taken aback when you arrived at your destination, having no recollection of the steps you took to get there.
Was the route crowded? Have you run into any red lights? You weren’t paying attention at all. It’s all too common to drive on “autopilot,” and it’s deadly.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving is involved in around 100,000 police-reported crashes each year. As a result, more than 1,550 people have died, and 71,000 people injured due to these collisions.
Two hours of sleep deprivation has the same effect on driving as three beers. When you’re tired, you’re three times more likely to crash.
He was driving while tired, putting you and others around you in danger. “Of all the drowsy driving countermeasures, getting enough sleep before driving is the easiest and most effective,” explains HMC Safety Manager Bobby Benn.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society
adults should receive seven or more hours of sleep each night.
Precautions like not driving after drinking alcohol and going to the next rest stop when tired can help prevent fatigue-related car accidents.
4. Moving objects around in the vehicle
Something moving can be a distraction, whether it’s a passenger’s pet, an insect flying through a window, or any object that proceeds out of place. Furthermore, our immediate reaction is to grasp for something sliding off a seat, yet the consequences of letting that object fall are likely to be far less severe than the risks of not paying attention to the road.
Pets, unfortunately, become distractions when they move around your car or perch in your lap. As all parents know, having children in a vehicle may be just as unpleasant. They scream to gain your attention. They lament the fact that they require certain items. They are at odds. It’s all too simple to become distracted from the road.
5. Eating and drinking
If you’re eating while driving, you’ll have to take your hands off the wheel at some time. Eating while driving ensures that drivers act with their knees rather than their hands, whether they’re opening a packed burger or adding ketchup to fries.
When you eat while driving, you aren’t paying attention to what’s happening around you. Instead, you might be concerned about staining your clothes or spilling your drink.
If your focus isn’t on the road, you can miss changes in road patterns or not know there’s a car in your blind area, according to our finest Los Angeles automobile accident lawyer.
Your reaction times will be slower and delayed if your eyes and focus aren’t on the road. Accidents might occur as a result of delayed reactions. For example, a car can slam on its brakes and cause a rear-end collision in a fraction of a second.
Your reaction times are rapid to respond to sudden changes on the road if you keep your eyes and attention on the road.
Contact a car injury attorney
Following an injury event, you will most likely explore your legal rights and how to receive the financial compensation you deserve for hospital costs, lost wages, and other financial losses.
Car accident attorneys are knowledgeable about all state regulations and can help you figure out which of these choices is best for your crash-related injuries.
