Distracted driving is about more than texting
Every driver in Pennsylvania should know that using a phone to write, read or send text messages is dangerous — and a primary offense in this state. Massive nationwide campaigns have been launched in recent years to highlight and educate motorists of the dangers of driving while distracted by texting.
However, as dangerous as texting behind the wheel is, it is not the only form of distraction that puts people’s lives in danger.
Other types of distraction
There are countless sources of distraction that plague drivers and take their focus, hands and eyes away from the task of driving. Some common examples include:
- Eating
- Drinking
- Grooming or looking in the mirror
- Trying to play music
- Looking for something in the passenger seat or back seat
- Talking to or otherwise engaging with passengers
- Taking pictures
- Reading or writing
- Focusing on something or someone outside the car
How distracted are we?
People often fail to recognize just how distracted they are behind the wheel. Many assume they are perfectly safe, and only get distracted once or twice during a trip.
However, the truth is that distraction can be a much larger problem than drivers realize. In fact, an upcoming documentary shows that drivers regularly engaged in distracted driving, even when they knew they were being filmed. Further, the film explains that even a few seconds of distraction can be catastrophic, as a person could easily travel the length of a football field in that brief amount of time.
Considering what a serious problem distracted driving is, it can be the cause for many accidents across Pennsylvania.
If distraction does cause an accident, then any injured victims may want to examine their options to file a legal claim. These accidents have the potential to cause considerable damage, and holding drivers accountable for that damage can reinforce the message that distracted driving is unsafe and should be avoided.
