Distracted driving and the multitasking myth

In a world full of technology that provides constant access to entertainment, a lot of people struggle to maintain focus on just one thing at a time. Unfortunately, this means there are a lot of Delaware drivers who are engaging in other tasks when they should be focusing on the road. Distracted driving puts everyone at risk for serious injury or even death.

The 3 types of distracted driving

Distracted driving is defined as anything that takes one’s attention off the task of driving. Something as seemingly innocuous as taking a drink of water can be a distraction. There are also three main categories of distracted driving behavior:

• Visual — taking one’s eyes off the road
• Manual — taking one’s hands off the wheel
• Cognitive — taking one’s mind off of driving

Texting is one of the worst types of distracted driving because it ticks off all three categories. The Governors Highway Safety Association reports texting or just using a cellphone in general while driving is so dangerous that there have been many laws passed to try and cut down or eliminate this behavior altogether. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention distracted driving kills around eight people each and every day.

Multitasking is a myth

There are many drivers in Delaware who think they are capable of multitasking while driving. The reality is that human brains are not really capable of multitasking. Instead of focusing on two things at once, a driver who is texting is actually rapidly switching his or her attention from one task to the other and only focusing on one at a time.

Distracted driving accidents can be extremely traumatic. Victims may struggle to really focus on their recoveries when they are also dealing with things like medical bills and lost wages. While the situation may feel impossible at first, many find that holding negligent drivers responsible via personal injury claims can be both emotionally and financially rewarding.