What Are the Dangers of Cognitive Distraction?

When most people think about distracted driving, they imagine habits such as texting and driving or eating behind the wheel. Many do not realize cognitive distractions can be just as dangerous – if not more so – than manual and visual distractions. Cognitive distractions remove a driver’s mind from the driving task, delaying reaction times and impairing judgment. A driver absorbed in thoughts about something else could cause a serious or deadly car accident in Houston.

Distracted Driving Statistics

In 2017, national crash data reported 3,166 deaths from distracted driving. Distraction caused 9% of overall traffic fatalities in 2017. Cellphones are a major cause of distracted driving accidents. Manual and visual distractions are not the only accident risks, however. Cognitive distractions caused many fatal and injury accidents in 2017. It is not enough to keep one’s hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. A prudent driver must also keep his or her mind on the driving task. A person cannot drive safely unless driving has his or her full attention.

What Is Cognitive Distraction?

A cognitive distraction is something that takes a driver’s mind off the roadway. Cognitive distractions can be anything that distracts a driver’s mind enough to make him or her think about something other than the task at hand. A cognitive distraction could lead to poor judgment calls and delayed reaction times. Even a few seconds’ delay could be enough to cause an otherwise preventable car accident.

• Getting lost in thought
• Daydreaming
• Feeling strong emotions such as anger or road rage
• Thinking about work
• Recalling an argument with a loved one
• Trying to remember or recall something
• Talking on the phone
• Conversing with passengers

Anything that detracts a driver’s attention from the road could potentially cause a car accident. Thinking about anything other than driving could delay a driver’s reaction to changing roadway situations enough to cause a collision. The few seconds it takes to revert a driver’s wandering mind to driving could be long enough to cause a preventable crash.

Why Is Cognitive Distraction So Dangerous?

Despite the task becoming second nature to most drivers, driving is not easy. It takes a certain level of concentration, knowledge and skill. Many drivers overestimate their driving capabilities. They assume they can safely text and drive, look away from the road or think about something else while driving. This misconception is what causes many distracted driving accidents. All drivers must commit 100% of their attention to the road, 100% of the time.

Cognitive distractions can lead to blindness to one’s surroundings. Something may occupy the part of the brain that would otherwise notice things such as crossing pedestrians or stopped cars, resulting in collisions. Cognitive distraction reduces the activity in parts of the brain necessary for safe driving. It can impair spatial awareness, visual information processing and environmental responsiveness. It can also lead to delayed reaction and response times in emergencies.

Cognitive distractions are so dangerous because most drivers are unaware of the risks. The average driver knows he or she should not be texting and driving but may not realize the equally dangerous risks of daydreaming behind the wheel. This leads to many drivers engaging in cognitive distractions. Spreading awareness of this very real problem could help prevent related car accidents.

How to Prove Distracted Driving

When a driver causes an accident because of a cognitive distraction, that person may be liable for victims’ damages. Texas is a fault-based state, meaning the at-fault driver will be legally responsible. Proving distracted driving to obtain a settlement may take an analysis of the scene of the accident. Evidence that the at-fault driver did not hit the brakes before colliding with the other vehicle, for example, could prove the existence of some type of distraction. Victims involved in distracted driving accidents should work with personal injury attorneys to help prove their cases.