Anything that causes drivers to take their eyes off of the roadway is considered dangerous. Even if it is something simple and lasts only a short moment, distracted driving is a hazardous behavior that could lead to serious and even fatal car accidents on roadways in Massachusetts.
Distracted driving is often synonymous with texting and driving. While this is a major contributor for accidents caused by distracted drivers, other dangerous behaviors contribute to the entire category of distracted driving. According to a recent insurance study, activities ranging from fairly standard to bizarre cause drivers to take their minds off of the primary task of driving safely.
According to this study, roughly 15 percent of drivers engage in PDA or romantic encounters while driving. Such an activity would cause drivers to take their eyes off of the road. Additionally, this could cause them to take a hand or both hands off of the wheel. It was also found that around 15 percent of drivers engage is combing or styling hair while driving. This easily leads drivers to look in a mirror and take their hands off of the wheel.
Other dangerous behaviors drivers engage in include activities such as putting on makeup, changing clothes, brushing or flossing teeth, changing drivers, taking selfies and even going to the bathroom while driving. Any of these activities, no matter how rare they occur, easily cause the drivers to take their minds off of driving. Whether it takes a few seconds or a split second to complete, any time drivers take their minds or eyes off of driving, they are increasing the chances of an accident.
Following a car accident, it is important to understand the cause. If it is determined that a distracted driver caused the collision, that driver could be found negligent. Moreover, those harmed in the crash might be able to recover compensation for injuries, damages and losses caused by the incident.
Source: Lex18.com, “Study Shows Distracted Driving Includes More Than Texting,” March 25, 2015
