Causes of Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is incredibly dangerous, but unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to keep many people from doing the things that distract them anyways. While on the road, it’s always important to pay attention to other drivers so you can attempt to avoid an accident due to another driver’s negligence.

Here are the top causes of distracted driving so you can look out for them and avoid doing them yourself:

1. Smoking

Although you may not realize it, lighting or putting out a cigarette distracts you. 1 out of 100 accidents are caused by this type of distracted driving. If you must smoke, only light your cigarette while you’re parked or stopped.

2. Moving objects in your car

Moving things around your car like pets, a purse, or anything else causes you to take your eyes off the road and can also result in a distracted driving accident.

3. Using controls in your car

Surprisingly enough, even doing things that are necessary to control or adjust to safely drive your vehicle, like adjusting your seatbelt or mirrors, result in about 1% of distracted driving car accidents.

4. Eating or drinking

We don’t mean drinking alcohol, as that’s a whole other ballgame. But eating something you’ve gotten from a drive-thru, drinking coffee, or even out of a water bottle can cause you to become distracted. When you’re fixated on eating your lunch, you’re not thinking as much about the car next to you. Wait until you get to your next stop to eat your meal.

5. Adjusting audio or AC controls

Yes, even taking your eyes off the road for a second to turn up the volume or turn on the air counts as distracted driving.

6. Reaching for a device

We all know that cell phone use while driving is dangerous and one of the leading causes of distracted driving. But did you know that simply reaching for said device can also cause you to get into an accident?

7. Passengers

The people who are riding in the car with you can also lead to distractions. Crying children, rowdy teenagers, demanding friends and family all put a strain on your attention while driving.

8. Outside distractions

Rubber necking is a serious distraction, and not only does it cause traffic slowdowns, it can cause you to get into an accident. Gawking or paying attention to people, objects, or events going on outside your car is a serious distraction.

9. Using your cell phone

This is the second-leading cause of distracted driving accidents. Put your cell phone down, turn on auto-replies to text messages to let people know you’re driving, and pay attention to the road.

10. Getting lost in thought

The top cause of distracted driving accidents is actually just being generally distracted or lost in thought. Driving can become an automatic thing, and it’s important to still remain attentive to the road and not let your mind wander.

If you’ve been in a distracted driving accident, call The May Firm today.