Distracted Driving Research Paper

Words: 797
Pages: 4

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 3,331 people are killed and over 387,000 injured in motor vehicle accidents connected to distracted driving every year (“EndDD”). Many types of distracted driving happen everyday, and nearly every driver becomes distracted. “A 2011 CDC study compared the percentage of distracted drivers in the United States and seven European countries. Overall, the study found that a higher percentage of U.S. drivers talked on the phone and read or sent emails or texts while driving than drivers in several other European countries” (“Distracted Driving”). Cell phones have greatly impacted distracted driving because texting and driving has become the most common cause of distracted driving …show more content…
Three types of distracted driving are manual distraction, visual distractions, and cognitive distractions. The most common and most dangerous type of distractions are manual distractions. Manual distractions are those when the driver of a vehicle physically moves his or her hand(s) away from the steering wheel while driving. Examples of manual distractions are texting, eating and drinking, adjusting the heat or radio, apply make-up, and smoking. Visual distractions are those when the driver focuses his or her eyes away from the road. Examples of Visual distractions are reading a book, map, or GPS, looking for something on the floor, and looking at something outside of the car, such as a landmark or the clouds. These distractions may not seem distracting while driving and are sometimes an essential to get to the destination, such as looking at a GPS. Drivers have just as much of a chance of getting in an accident while looking at a GPS while driving as any other type of distraction. Finally cognitive distractions are those when the driver’s mind wanders from the task of driving. This happens when the driver thinks of where he or she should stop to eat, what road to take, talking on the phone, or listening closely to a radio show so to win Taylor Swift concert