One of the leading causes of New Jersey motor vehicle accidents is distracted driving. However, not many people understand the different types and how dangerous they can be.
Manual distractions
Usually, when people think of distracted driving, they think of things like texting or fiddling with the radio. These are manual distractions, which take our hands off the wheel.
Manual distractions are one of the most dangerous types of distracted driving because they prevent you from being able to control your vehicle properly. This can especially lead to motor vehicle accidents when you’re driving in congested areas or at high speeds.
Visual distractions
Visual distractions are anything that takes your eyes off the road. This can include things like looking at a map or even just rubbernecking to see what’s going on outside of your car.
While visual distractions may not seem as dangerous as manual ones, they can still be pretty hazardous. After all, if you’re not looking at the road, you’re not able to react to things in time and could easily get into an accident.
Cognitive distractions
Cognitive distractions are anything that takes your mind off of driving. This could be something like talking to a passenger in the car or even just daydreaming.
Cognitive distractions are particularly dangerous because they prevent you from being able to focus on driving. If your mind is elsewhere, you’re more likely to make mistakes or miss something important, which could easily lead to an accident.
Avoiding distractions
Of course, the best way to avoid getting into an accident is being aware of the different types of distractions and making a conscious effort to avoid them. If you need to do something that’s going to take your attention away from driving, it’s best to pull over or wait until you’re stopped before doing it.