Traffic statutes can help protect people from preventable collisions. Lawmakers occasionally adjust existing regulations to better reflect current traffic trends. In recent years, distracted driving has become a major public safety concern.
Lawmakers have stepped up to address distraction at the wheel. Specifically, they have enacted rules prohibiting the act of manually texting while operating a motor vehicle. Drivers generally need to avoid using digital devices while driving and can end up ticketed if they get caught driving while distracted.
Despite state statutes, distracted driving remains a major issue. There are several common forms of distracted driving that do not technically break the law. What types of legal distractions may lead to collisions?
1. Conversations with passengers
Conversations with other people in the vehicle can be a major source of distraction. People often feel the need to look at others while talking to them. They might even take their hands off the wheel to make gestures that emphasize their statements.
Combine those habits with the cognitive distraction conversations generate, and that is a recipe for significant distraction. Drivers may not notice changes in traffic because they become too involved in a conversation with their carpool passengers or children.
2. Coffee or a snack on the road
Multiple cupholders are standard in most modern vehicles. People generally assume that they can drink and eat while driving, especially if they acquire their meal at a drive-thru business.
However, eating or drinking causes mental distraction. Drivers have to keep at least one hand off of the wheel to hold a cup or a burrito. They can become significantly more distracted if they spill something or reach for other items in the bag provided by the restaurant. A meal eaten on the way to a work meeting could be the reason that someone misses the meeting entirely because of a collision.
3. Built-in screens
Modern vehicles usually have touchscreens in the dashboard. People may have to interact with that screen to change the temperature of the air in the vehicle’s cabin or adjust the radio settings.
Other people may need to interact with the GPS device to correct the destination they previously input. People often assume that built-in screens or GPS devices are safe for drivers to use, but they can be just as distracting as mobile phones.
Establishing that distraction played a role in a car crash can help people hold distracted drivers accountable. Even in cases where a distraction wasn’t technically illegal, it may have caused the driver to act negligently. People can request compensation from those who cause crashes due to misconduct or negligence.
