What Types of Distractions Interfere with Driving?

Today’s technology offers all sorts of stimuli, which can easily distract drivers. A safe driver stays focused visually, cognitively, and manually. This means that the driver can see the road clearly, is concentrating on the task of driving, and has their hands on the steering wheel. When a driver becomes distracted in one of these three ways, it increases the chance of a distracted-driving car wreck.

Evidence from various studies indicates that distracted driving does cause car wrecks. Distracted driving was a factor in 80 percent of the accidents that were examined in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study. The most common distraction was the use of a cellular phone. Other common distractions that cause accidents include reading, putting on makeup, looking at an event or something outside the vehicle, or adjusting or reaching for something in the vehicle.

In 2008, 5,870 people died in accidents caused by distracted driving, and 21 percent of 1,630,000 accidents that resulted in injuries involved distracted driving. Distracted driving is prevalent around the United States, and not even Texas is free of distracted driving accidents. If you are suffering from injuries sustained in a Texas distracted-driving accident or if a loved one has died in a distracted-driving accident, you may be entitled to compensation. At Denena & Points, a Houston car-accident attorney can evaluate your case.