Why Drivers Must Keep Their Eyes On The Road

Too often drivers think that it is possible to multi-task while driving a car. It is not. Each task that gets added to the drivers need to keep his or her eyes on the road serves as a diversion.

Three types of diversions

Those caused by a visual distraction: A shout that pushes the driver to look away from the road qualifies as a visual diversion (distraction).

Those caused by a manual distraction: This could be a hand movement that managed to catch the eye of the driver.

Those caused by a cognitive distraction: A hands-free cell phone is an excellent example of a cognitive distraction.

A closer look at cognitive distractions

This is something that causes the driver to take his or her mind off of the road. Obviously, that creates a dangerous situation. When the driver’s attention strays from the road, he or she becomes more likely to cause an accident.

Too often, the driver fails to note the presence of a cognitive distraction. The drier thinks that he or she is multitasking. In reality, one important task does not get performed at an acceptable level. That is the task that demands that the driver keep his or her eyes on the road.

While texting creates a visual distraction, using an ear plug allows for introduction of a cognitive distraction. In other words, it is wrong to believe that the driver that has a hands-free cell phone will never give in to any type of distraction. The driver’s mind will get distracted from the road, along with the signs and signals on the road.

What happens when a driver experiences decreased attention to the road, owing to the existence of a diversion?

First of all the driver’s reaction time gets reduced. The driver should really slow down. In that way there would be more room between the front of that particular driver’s car and the rear of the automobile in front of that same vehicle.

Secondly, the driver suffers from impaired judgment. That fact was alluded to in the preceding paragraph. The driver thinks that he or she has the ability to multitask, in other words to do two things at once. In reality, the mind has to focus its attention on one thing and thus ignore any competing activity.

The risky situation that gets created by such distractions can be magnified by the driver’s own thoughts. If he or she feels troubled, that could force the driver’s mind to lose its focus on the road. Hence, the chances for an accident would become even greater. Unfortunately, the driver would be totally unaware of that risk, due to his or her impaired judgment. That is why accidents occur and the victim requires the services of an injury lawyer in Cambridge.