Talk With Attorney John Rapillo Today 949-675-5060

Different types of driving distractions that cause accidents

More than 400,000 people in California and across the United States were injured in 2018 in accidents caused by distracted drivers. Distracted driving is a widely used term that encompasses a variety of different things that could cause a driver to look away from the road. You should be aware of the different ways you could be distracted while driving.

Manual, cognitive and visual distractions

Cellphones get a bad reputation for distracting drivers, but they aren’t the only culprit. Manual, cognitive and visual distractions can all play a part in motor vehicle accidents in different ways:

  • Manual distractions cause the driver to remove their hands from the wheel while drinking soda, smoking, picking up a dropped item or eating.
  • Cognitive distractions take away a driver’s mental attention by focusing on a problem at work or having a conversation with a passenger.
  • Visual distractions cause a driver to look away from the road by glancing at a billboard, looking at a map on GPS or reading a text.

Staying focused while driving

As a driver, you have the responsibility to prevent yourself from being distracted cognitively, visually or manually in order to avoid car accidents. Some ideas to prevent distraction include:

  • Putting a cellphone in airplane mode
  • Arranging GPS directions before heading out on the road
  • Eating and drinking before entering the vehicle
  • Getting plenty of sleep and reducing anxiety before driving

Getting help after an injury in a car accident

Injuries after a motor vehicle accident can cause medical bills to stack up quickly and lead to lost wages from time off of work during recovery. If your injury was caused by a distracted driver in a car accident, you may be able to receive compensation to help with these bills.

Get Started Today

Fields marked with an * are required

"*" indicates required fields

I Have Read The Disclaimer*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Serving Clients Across Orange County and All of Southern California
2901 W. Pacific Coast Hwy., Suite 200
Newport Beach, CA 92663
Phone:949-675-5060