lady holding ice coffee and mobile phone in car

The Most Overlooked Driving Distractions

Four Common Causes of Distracted Driving

When the term “distracted driving” is discussed, it’s often associated with texting and driving or other cell phone use. However, many other actions can become distracting when behind the wheel, and these often go overlooked. These distractions can be classified as manual, visual, or cognitive depending on if they take your hands off the wheel, eyes off the road, or attention off the task at hand. Here are four you should keep in mind.

#1: Passengers

Communicating with your passengers or even attending to children in the vehicle can fall into any distraction classification. It’s common for people to make eye contact or turn towards people they are conversing with and doing this while driving could increase risks of a crash. When having passengers in your vehicle, ensure that they are respecting your attention being on the road and are not influencing your ability to drive.

#2 Eating & Drinking

Although eating and drinking while driving seems like an easy task that requires little thought, it is one of the most overlooked distractions. Since it requires you to take your eyes or hands off the road at some point, even for a brief amount of time, it could decrease reaction times.

#3 Adjusting Radio & Temperature Controls Is A Form of Distracted Driving

It is always ideal to pick a playlist or radio station and the climate in your vehicle before you start driving because doing so mid-trip can take your eyes and hands off the wheel. Some people may even scroll through multiple radio stations or be typing to search for a song on their phone, increasing the time spent with your attention off the road.

#4. Daydreaming

Have you ever been in a “highway trance” or got lost in thought and didn’t realize how far you had traveled without thinking about it? Daydreaming is considered one of the most dangerous actions and contributed to the most distracted driving-related crashes in 2019. When daydreaming, it is much easier to lose concentration and make more mistakes behind the wheel that could have potentially fatal consequences.

The Lawyers That Listen at Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman are here to help ensure that the road is a safer place for all individuals by holding negligently distracted drivers accountable for causing others harm. If you need legal assistance for a car accident claim, call (662) 222-0597 to schedule a consultation with our team today.

About the Author
Jefferson D. Gilder is a Partner at Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman and was admitted to the Mississippi and Tennessee Bars in 1990. Mr. Gilder is admitted to practice in all courts in Mississippi and Tennessee including Federal Court, the Fifth and Sixth Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Gilder's areas of practice include personal injury, criminal, medical malpractice, civil rights, and product liability. Mr. Gilder spent his first ten years as an attorney practicing with his father, Robert G. Gilder, at Gilder Law Firm in Southaven, Mississippi before forming Gilder, Howell & Assoc., P.A. with Jamie W. Howell, Jr. in June of 2000. This firm although as another legal entity has now combined their resources and experience with Chatham – Pittman, to form Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman. If you have any questions about this article, you can reach Jefferson through our contact page.