What is considered distracted driving?

Did you know that there are more than?33,000 accidents?in the United States a year? Fatalities from car accidents number in the tens of thousands, and distracted driving is one of the leading causes of these accidents.

If you’ve been curious about distracted driving’s impact on the road, we’re here to help. Read on for some of the causes of?distracted driving?and how to avoid them.

What’s a Distraction?

Anything that removes your focus from the road constitutes distracted driving. Some of these are more intense than others but are still something you need to consider.?

Light conversation or itching your face is unlikely to cause a severe issue. But things that remove your hands from the wheel can cause significant issues. A distraction can be anything that interferes with your senses while driving. Noise, visual stimuli, and physical touch are all things that can take your mind, ears, and eyes off the road and potentially cause a terrible accident.?

Here are a few of the most common forms of distracted driving.

Eyes Off

There are countless hazards on the road that will remove your eyes from driving. Arguably the most common hazard here is roadside billboards or advertisements.

Billboards are frequently found near the road, serving as an advertisement for passing drivers. There are even vehicles that will have ads on them, with some areas having vans and trucks that drive around with television screens showing ads.

You can also take your eyes off the road to find something in your car or to look around. Many accidents are caused by people “rubbernecking” at automotive accidents as they pass. As the name suggests, this is simply looking at a crash as you pass, distracting yourself.

These hazards are especially dangerous in areas with other vehicles. You might miss a stoplight or a?passing pedestrian?if you’re looking elsewhere. Keep your eyes on the road to ensure your attention stays where it should.

Hands Down

Having your eyes off the road is dangerous, but far from the only form of distracted driving. Many forms of distractions might take your hands off the wheel entirely.

For example, you might have dropped something and are attempting to grab it. Doing so leads to you taking at least one hand off the wheel while you search for it. Oftentimes, this leads to you looking for it as well, completely removing your focus from driving.

You also might only have one hand on the wheel if you’re eating while you drive, changing your music station, or another distraction. It’s even dangerous to be holding the hand of a passenger or otherwise interacting while driving.

Taking your hands off the wheel will stop you from being able to turn quickly if you need to avoid something. It also is a sign that your mind is distracted from your driving.

General Distraction

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