We’re all aware that distracted driving is a dangerous problem in North Dakota. Whether you’re in town or on a rural highway, a distracted driver sharing the road with you can lose control in a moment, and you might not be able to avoid a terrible car accident.
When most people think about distracted driving, they think of someone texting, talking, or using apps on their phone while behind the wheel. And that is certainly a huge part of the distracted driving crisis in this country. But it’s not the only way drivers split their attention and reduce their ability to operate their vehicle safely.
Beyond Texting and Driving
The fact is, virtually anything that you can do while driving that isn’t about paying attention to the road and operating your car counts as a distraction. Experts divide these distractions into three categories: manual, visual, and auditory. In other words, using one or both of your hands for something other than steering and shifting gears, looking at something other than the road, and listening to anything other than traffic, are all forms of distracted driving.
Common examples of distracted driving besides cellphone use include:
- Eating or drinking
- Smoking or vaping
- Brushing hair, putting on makeup, brushing teeth, and other grooming activities
- Handling or playing with a dog, cat, or other pet
- Feeding, cleaning, or playing with a child in the back seat
- Adjusting the radio station or volume
- Talking with passengers
As you can see, many of these combine two types of distractions, such as using your hands and looking in the rear-view mirror to fix your hair.
A fourth category of distraction is called “cognitive distractions.” These don’t involve a second activity but are things that impair your comprehension and judgement. Alcohol and drug impairment, fatigue, and road rage are examples of cognitive distractions.
Distractions can Impair Any Driver
Many chronically distracted drivers claim they can handle driving and other things at the same time. If you’ve been driving for a long time, it can feel like second nature. A lot of people feel they can drive safely with less than 100% focus. But this is an illusion.
We might forget it, but driving is a complex task. You need your hands, at least one foot, your vision, hearing, and judgement to do it safely. Your mind is constantly taking in information about the vehicles around you, streetlights, signs, how fast you’re going, and so on. Splitting focus for even a few moments can mean missing something, such as the car in front of you suddenly stopping, and reduces how quickly you can react.
Keep in mind that a car travelling 60 miles per hour goes 90 feet per second. That’s the same distance from home plate to first base in baseball. It takes an average of 4.6 seconds to open and read a text message – plenty of time to miss that your vehicle has drifted across the median and fail to get out of the way of oncoming traffic in time.
The SPIDER Method
You probably can’t tell when a distracted driver is about to cause a dangerous situation, but you might be able to avoid a crash and serious bodily harm. Experts have developed a six-point defensive driving method called SPIDER, which stands for:
Scanning: watching the road about 20-30 seconds worth of distance in front of you and checking mirrors frequently.
Predicting: anticipating possible hazards, such as someone making a sudden lane change in front of you.
Identifying: noticing objects or conditions that could become a problem, like the driver in the next lane who is obviously looking at their phone.
Decision-making: determining the safest action in response to a threat, such as slowing down or swerving out of the way.
Executing a Response: carrying out the action to hopefully avoid a crash.
Responsible drivers learn to do these things through practice and experience. But distracted drivers cannot do them effectively.
Building a Case for Compensation for Your Distracted Driving Accident
If you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident and you suspect it was caused by distracted driving, there are ways of building a case. The driver’s phone records could be uncovered to show if their phone was in use just before the crash. A traffic, security, or dashboard camera might have captured the collision and signs the driver was distracted. And evidence from the scene, such as a lack of skid marks that suggest the driver never even tried to brake, could also support your claim.
An experienced North Dakota personal injury lawyer who handles car accidents claims involving distracted driving can be your partner, advisor, and partner through the process of filing suit, negotiating with the insurance company, and preparing a case for trial.
