There are a variety of components that may influence your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle while navigating along Indiana roads. Keeping your hands on the wheel, eyes on the road and mind on the task at hand are all examples of things that may help you prepare to respond to the situations that arise.
Anything that diverts your focus off the road can prove hazardous by nature, and sources of distraction can take on various forms. Knowing how distraction might affect your driving capabilities could help you prepare to take steps to avoid similar hazards, but what happens if other drivers nearby fail to do the same?
The effects
Reading or writing a text message and eating while driving are just two examples of actions that might diminish your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Some of the possible hazards involved with distracted driving may include:
- Response times: The ability to respond to situations that arise is an integral component of safe driving. Anything that disrupts your focus can severely diminish driver response times.
- Driver reactions: Reaching down to change the radio station or to grab an item in the passenger seat are examples of manual actions that may leave you unprepared to react to changes in traffic patterns.
- Lack of awareness: A phone conversation can take a significant portion of your concentration. Studies have found that the human brain is not truly capable of multitasking, and anything that creates a divide of attention can be exceedingly hazardous.
- Vehicle control: Those who succumb to cognitive distractions may also struggle to maintain control of their vehicles and may be prone to drifting in and out of traffic lanes, which can be dangerous under any situation.
While driving at a speed of around 50 mph, a vehicle can travel several hundred feet in seconds, and even a moment of inattention during this time could carry disastrous ramifications.
Distracted driving collisions
Even if you choose to maintain focus on the task at hand while driving, if others succumb to distraction, there might be little you can do to avoid a potential disaster. The outcome of an ensuing collision could take a dire toll on your life, potentially leaving you with severe or life-changing injuries and facing significant financial hurdles. While you might not be able to change what occurred, you may have questions about your available legal avenues and the next steps to take to safeguard your future.