Drawing attention to other distracted driving risk factors

Behind the wheel, you need to avoid any distractions that could affect your driving. Many drivers understand that cell phones play a major role in the prevalence of distracted driving, such as texting, sending emails and making calls. However, many there are many other types of dangerous behaviors that drivers engage in when they should focus on the road instead.

Some drivers do not realize that even seemingly minor distractions can significantly increase the likelihood of an accident.

Eating, passengers and other distracted driving risks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines many different risk factors that lead to distracted driving. For example, trying to reach for food or eat can divert a driver’s attention, and other passengers in the vehicle can prevent a driver from paying attention to the road. Using a GPS, adjusting the radio, reading a map and looking at distractions alongside the road can also interfere with driving.

Some distractions result in the loss of mental focus, while others involve taking hands off of the wheel or eyes off of the road. All of these distractions are dangerous.

Statistics on distracted driving

Over the course of 2018, estimates suggest that 400,000 people suffered injuries in traffic collisions involving distracted drivers. Distracted driving also claimed more than 2,800 lives in 2018, and those not riding in vehicles (such as pedestrians and bicyclists) made up for roughly 20% of the people who died in distracted driving accidents.

If a distracted driver hit you, it is essential to hold them answerable, especially if the crash left you seriously hurt.