Study: Distracted driving can last longer than the distraction itself

Distracted driving leads to car accidents on a daily basis. There are many different types of distraction, such as talking to passengers, eating and drinking, listening to music or programming a GPS.

In some cases, these distractions end as soon as the activity itself ends. Someone who is distracted because they are drinking coffee during their morning commute is no longer distracted when they set the coffee down.

However, for cellphone-related distractions, like texting and driving, studies have found that the distraction actually lasts for another 27 seconds. The driver certainly may put their phone down or put it back in their pocket, but that does not mean they are not a distracted driver. For the next half of a minute, they are still mentally or cognitively distracted.

How mental distractions are unique

Mental distractions are just one type of driving distraction. The other two are visual and manual. Physically holding a cellphone is a manual distraction, for instance, that ends when the driver puts the phone down and returns their hand to the wheel.

However, mental distractions are a bit different because the driver can still be thinking about something outside of operating their vehicle. Maybe they are texting with their spouse in the middle of an argument or they are texting with their boss about a major project at work. They are still thinking about those topics even after they are done sending or reading a text, which means they are not thinking about traffic around them.

Have you been injured in a car accident caused by one of these distracted drivers? If so, take the time to look into your options for seeking financial compensation.