According to the Center for Disease Control, nine people in the United States are killed every day in crashes that reportedly involve a distracted driver.
In Massachusetts alone, there have been on average 100,000 crashes reported each year that have involved distracted drivers.
Distracted driving is defined as “any activity that diverts attention away from driving.” These activities include things such as talking or texting on the phone, eating and drinking, talking to passengers in your vehicle, changing the radio system and anything else that takes a drivers’ attention away from safely operating the vehicle.
There are several different driving distractions, but they can be broken into three main categories:
- A visual distraction
- A manual distraction
- A cognitive distraction
A visual distraction is anything that causes the driver to take their eyes off the road. Examples of this type of distraction include checking a GPS, looking at the radio or a cell phone, searching for items on your passenger seat or floor, and signage or billboards.
A manual distraction is anything that causes the driver to take their hands off the wheel for any amount of time. Examples of this type of distraction include eating or drinking, operating a cell phone, adjusting the radio or GPS, reaching for something in the backseat or a purse, smoking, and grooming/applying makeup.
A cognitive distraction is anything that causes the driver to take their mind off driving. Examples of this type of distraction include talking on the phone, talking to a passenger, listening to the radio, and being preoccupied with personal, family or work-related issues.
Manual distractions are reported as the top cause of distracted driving accidents in Massachusetts. Distracted driving is an epidemic in our society, and drivers need to limit these distractions to safely operate their vehicles on the road and help lower the risk of accidents.
If you were involved in a vehicle related accident, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help. DILLER LAW attorneys work hard to help our clients avoid having the accident-related bills referred to collection companies.
For a free legal consultation call us at (617) 523-7771.
Watch Marc’s TikTok regarding the types of distracted driving: https://www.tiktok.com/@dillerlaw/video/7218311415130606890?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7223872867427337770
Additional Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/distracted_driving/index.html
https://apps.impact.dot.state.ma.us/cdp/report-view/14