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The MDJD Blog | Michael V. Barszcz, M.D., J.D.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Accidents Caused by Common Driver Distractions

The most talked about driver distraction involves the cell phone. Cell phone use while driving is a huge contributor to the number of car accidents on Florida roadways. There are, however, several other distractions that lead to serious and possible fatal car accidents.

Common driver distractions can be categorized by three types:

Visual
Cognitive
Manual

Anything that visually takes your attention off the road is a visual driver distraction. This type of distraction may be looking at the scenery, your cell phone, a map, or a dropped item. Visual distraction almost always accompanies cognitive and manual distractions.

Cognitive driver distractions cause your thoughts to be on things other than the road and driving. A conversation, thinking about what to make for dinner, or "zoning out" are all types of cognitive distractions.

Manual driver distractions occur when you take your hands off the steering wheel. You are at risk of being in an accident even if you only use one hand and leave the other hand on the wheel. Manual distractions include eating, talking on the phone, and adjusting controls in the car.

Other common driver distractions include: