Distraction.gov is the U.S. Government’s official website for its crackdown on distracted driving. Federal safety experts recently revealed the most dangerous form of distracted driving. Can you take a guess? If you guessed distracted driving, you are correct. The reason, according to researchers, is that text messaging requires visual, manual and cognitive attention from the driver.
Federal regulators also cited research from the University of Utah revealing that using a cell phone for any purpose while driving delays a driver’s reactions as much as having a blood alcohol content of .08. Text messaging requires the driver to use his or her hands, eyes and mental faculties, which take away the attention from the primary task of driving.
Safety experts define “distracted driving” as any activity that diverts a driver’s attention away from the primary task of driving. Other forms of distracted driving include:
- Eating and drinking
- Using a navigation system
- Adjusting the radio, CD player or MP3 player
- Talking to passengers
- Talking on a cell phone
Have you been in a car accident caused by a driver doing any of the above?
Colson Hicks Eidson – Florida injury attorneys