Distracted Driving

Driving requires your full attention to safely control your vehicle and respond to what's happening around you. Anything that prevents you from operating your vehicle safely counts as a distraction and distractions generally fall into three categories.

The 3 Types of Driver Distraction

• Visual — eyes off the road. This is the most common type of distraction: anything that takes your eyes off the road, even briefly. Looking for an item in the car, glancing at scenery, or checking a text message all count.
• Cognitive — mind off the road. You've likely driven a familiar stretch of road and realized you can't remember the last several minutes. That's a cognitive distraction taking over. Stress, an argument, or a conversation with a passenger can all pull your mind away from driving even while your eyes stay on the road.
• Manual — hands off the wheel. Changing the radio station, answering a call, or reaching for your coffee all take your hands off the wheel, even briefly and these often overlap with visual distractions too.

Common Causes of Distracted Driving

• Using a handheld device, like a phone or music player
• Reaching for an object inside the vehicle
• Looking at something outside the vehicle
• Reading
• Eating
• Applying makeup

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), using a phone behind the wheel for calls, texting, or social media carries the highest distraction risk of all, because it combines all three types of distraction at once: visual, cognitive, and manual.

How to Prevent Distracted Driving

Many of these distractions happen without us even realizing it. Safe driving requires eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and full attention on your surroundings. A few habits make a real difference:

• Finish meals, grooming, and other tasks before you start driving.
• Program your phone or GPS directions before you put the car in gear.
• Handle calls, texts, and emails before the vehicle is moving not while it is.

For many drivers, the pull to check a phone behind the wheel is strong even with education and known consequences. Building the habit of putting your phone away before you start driving is one of the simplest, highest-impact changes you can make.

Want more practical strategies for staying safe on the road? Read our full guide to defensive driving strategies.