Venice Distracted Driving Accident Attorney

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines distracted driving as any activity that diverts attention away from driving. The CDC clarifies this definition even further by breaking these activities into the following three categories:

• Cognitive distractions, in which a driver’s mind is no longer focused on the act of driving;
• Manual distractions, which involve activities that take a motorist’s hands off of the wheel; and
• Visual distractions, which involve a driver taking his or her eyes off of the road.
  
  

While all of these kinds of distractions are dangerous when it comes to driving, the most perilous are those that satisfy the definitions of all three categories. Cell phone use, especially texting, for example, requires drivers to take their hands off of the wheel, their eyes off of the road, and their mind off of the act of driving. Other common forms of distracted driving include:

• Driving while fatigued;
• Using in-vehicle technologies, such as the radio or a GPS device;
• Engaging in grooming activities;
• Attending to children or pets in the backseat;
• Talking to passengers;
• Smoking or vaping;
• Eating and drinking; and
• Daydreaming.
  
  

While these may be the most common examples of activities that result in distracted driving, it is important to keep in mind that driving involves a complex set of ongoing tasks, all of which require visual, mental, and motor skill functions. As a result, any activity that affects these abilities in a negative way can qualify as a distracted driving activity.