An auto accident can lead to severe injuries and losses. Many auto accidents are caused by drunk driving, aggression and negligence. One of the most common causes of car crashes is distracted driving.
Distracted driving is anything that causes a driver to look away from the road, take their hands off the wheel or think about anything other than the road. This can be simplified to any manual, visual or cognitive distractions.
People often become distracted without realizing it. To help make drivers safer on the road, it can help to give a few examples of distracted driving. Here’s what you should know:
Example 1: Texting and driving
One of the biggest causes of distracted driving is texting. Phones are made to draw people’s attention when someone is calling or texting the user. However, this can lead to auto accidents. A driver may try to respond to a text while they are still in motion.
As a result, they’ve taken their hand off the wheel to hold the phone, they’re looking away from the road to focus on the text and they’re thinking more about responding to the sender than the road ahead.
Example 2: Eating and drinking
Most people can run through a fast food restaurant without ever leaving their car. This convenience can help people eat fast, hot food and still get to their destination without delay. However, eating and drinking can be a distraction.
The driver, for example, may smell the food and think about having a quick bite without stopping the car. They may need to free up one hand to open their bag of food. And, they may focus more on eating than obstacles ahead of them.
An auto accident can happen suddenly. If you are the victim of a distracted driving accident, then it may help you to reach out for legal help and learn about your compensation options.