Washington drivers who are not paying attention to the roadway are considered to be underneath a cognitive distraction. This type of distraction is one of the leading causes of car accidents throughout the country. By understanding the different forms of cognitive distraction, one will be more able to prevent entering into this stage of distraction when driving.
Smartphones are a common cognitive distraction
Cognitive distraction is a blanket term that is given to various types of activities that take a person’s attention away from the task of driving at hand. One of the most commonly talked about types of cognitive distraction is cell phone usage. Whether it’s having a conversation with someone on the hands-free device or texting a person back, your attention is pulled away from the roadway. All it takes is a few seconds for your attention to be pulled away for you to be involved in a car accident.
Common examples of other cognitive distractions
Another common cause of cognitive distraction is being distracted by something inside of the vehicle. This may be being distracted by your radio as you’re searching for different stations. This could be talking to one of your passengers and not paying attention to the roadway. You could be attending to your child in the back seat and take your eyes off the road. Or, you can even be watching your pet hang their head out of the window instead of focusing on driving. These are just some of the many different forms of cognitive distraction the drivers can fall victim to.
The number of different cognitive distractions that a driver can face on the roadway continues to increase. As new technology comes out, including smartphones, satellite radios and navigation systems, drivers are more tempted than ever before to take their attention away from the roadway. If you’ve been involved in an accident where the other driver was under a cognitive distraction, it’s important that you seek legal assistance to help with your case.