As you travel on the open road for a vacation or to go to work, you may notice some signs of a car accident waiting to happen.
Distractions can lead people to sideswipe you or ram into the back of your vehicle. Learning about the most common kinds of these distractions and why they happen can help you.
Mind off the road
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while you may assume the driver next to you is concentrating on the road, he or she may not always be thinking about you or the road at all. Cognitive distractions can cause serious accidents, since a driver can lull himself or herself to sleep or accidentally drive off out of his or her lane.
Worry over work issues or family problems can leave drivers barely paying attention to others around them turning onto a road or stopping at lights.
Hands off the wheel
Trying to open a bag of chips or type a text message out to someone requires a driver to take his or her hands off the wheel. This driver may assume there is no danger in just a second or two of this action, even at high speeds.
However, even a few seconds of delay can impact how quickly people can react to obstacles. There is less time to slam the brakes if a pedestrian or other car suddenly pulls out in front of them. Knowing about how distractions can impact people’s reactions on the road can help you know what to do next after an accident.