Most people think of distracted driving as a driver who is on their phone in the car. Perhaps that driver is trying to use a social media app or read a text message. Maybe they are taking a picture or a video. Perhaps they’re just using the phone to listen to music or program a GPS destination.
All these things are examples of distracted driving. But the problem is that it leads people to believe that the distraction ends once that driver puts their phone down. Unfortunately, studies have found that this is not the case, and the mental distraction lasts for another 27 seconds.
What does this mean for road safety?
This is a big issue for road safety, especially at intersections or other places where drivers have to stop. Many drivers will stay off of their phones while the car is actively moving. But if they get to a red light, then they will check their notifications or try to perform tasks – like choosing a new album to listen to after the light changes.
When that light turns green, these drivers put their phones down and they believe that they are not distracted. But they are actually still going to be facing mental or cognitive distractions for, on average, about half of a minute. These distractions lead to a lot of intersection crashes, and studies have also found that intersections are responsible for more than half of all injuries and fatalities on the road.
What options do you have?
Have you been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver? Take the time to look into your legal options to seek financial compensation.