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DISTRACTED DRIVING

Distrated Driving

Distracted Driving is defined as whatever activity, besides from driving, that potentially distracts you from the main function of driving and that may raise the risk of crashing or having an accident.

There are three types of distractions that result in distracted driving, they are:

Visual: This basically means, not looking at the road.

Manual: Whenever you take your hands of the steering wheel.

Cognitive: The worst thing a driver could possibly do, that is, to take your attention off driving.

All of the types of distractions mentioned above are the ones that would get any driver into an accident, but the cognitive distraction is a very dangerous one as the response time in case of accident is too slow. Still the most dangerous form of distraction is the mixing of the three types of distractions already mentioned, and this is why texting while driving is considered the most dangerous activity to do when driving.

There are many activities that result in distracted driving, some of them are:
  • Changing CD's
  • Changing radio stations
  • Drinking
  • Eating
  • Staring at billboards
  • Stress
  • Talking
  • Using cell phones
  • Paying attention to children
Visual distractions come from very simple activities, such as looking at the passenger next to you, or turning around to check on children, maybe watching a billboard in the street or looking at the people in the car next to yours.

Manual distractions come from playing your stereo, eating, etc.

There are many factors that can distract you from basic driving, no matter how smart and conscious people think they are, you can never tell the consequences of a reckless, distracted driving. Drinking is one of the worst things to do when you know you will drive, and it is estimated that a person dies every half-an-hour in a car accident because the driver was drinking. Drinking will not only diminish your attention ability, make you take your hands off the steering wheel, your eyes off the road, and your head off your car, it will also decrease your response to danger highly.

More info:
How to Avoid Being Distracted

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