You are running late for an important appointment and decide to hurry and call your doctor’s office to let them know. Once off of the phone, you try to hurry and finish your sandwich while driving to your appointment. At one point, your drink starts to tip. Your jerk your steering wheel a bit as you fumble your sandwich and try to catch your drink. This is distracted driving and it is surprisingly, more common in New Jersey than many people realize.
If you are like the majority of people, you may first think of texting when you hear the term ” distracted driving.” However, there are actually three different types of distracted driving according to Esurance. These include the following:
- Visual: This kind of distraction involves anything that removes your eyes from the road ahead. Examples include looking at your GPS, fixing your child’s seatbelt and adjusting the radio station.
- Cognitive: This kind of distraction involves anything that causes a mental deviation from driving. Examples include talking with your passengers, being emotionally affected by work or family issues, and even becoming too thoughtful about the podcast you may be listening to.
- Manual: This kind of distraction takes both of your hands away from the steering wheel to complete a task. Examples include eating, doing your makeup, programming an electronic or reaching to retrieve something that has dropped.
In general, it is imperative that you recognize which behaviors are distracting to you. What do you try to do regularly while driving that could potentially cause an accident? What can you do before you start driving to eliminate common distractions for you? Overall, remember that trying to do more than driving when you are behind the wheel is a dangerous game to play and could potentially cost you time, money and even your life.
The information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice.