The Three Types of Distracted Driving: What Every Michigan Driver Should Know

Published by Bill Laubscher at May 18, 2021

At least 10% of all fatal car accidents involve at least one distracted driver, motorcyclist, bicyclist or pedestrian. And, due to underreporting, experts believe the actual numbers are even higher. Distracted driving falls into three major categories: visual, manual and cognitive. Here’s what you need to know about the types of distracted driving, including which is the most deadly.

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What is Distracted Driving?

The most basic definition of distracted driving is any activity that diverts a motorist’s attention away from the process of driving. While many things can cause a driver to become sidetracked, distracted driving is generally classified into three categories:

Visual

Visual distraction is when a driver looks at something other than the road. The distraction can be inside the vehicle, such as a navigation screen or a child in the backseat, or something outside the car such as a billboard or that classic car in the next lane.

Manual

A manual distraction is anything that causes a driver to take one or both hands off the wheel. Using a hand-held cell phone is the most obvious example, but eating or drinking, adjusting the temperature controls and programming the GPS are equally distracting. What’s more, a driver is also mentally distracted when performing these activities, which increases the risk of an accident.

Cognitive

A cognitive distraction is anything that takes a driver’s mind away from the road and surrounding traffic. Such distractions may include thinking about an upcoming meeting, making a mental shopping list or worrying about a family member or personal problem. When this happens, a driver can become totally unaware of their surroundings until it is too late.

Each type of distraction is risky on its own, but activities that cause all three types to occur are especially dangerous. Examples are sending or reading texts, talking on a hand-held cell phone, putting on makeup and unwrapping and eating a sandwich or candy bar. Anything that takes a driver’s hands, eyes and mind away from the road can lead to tragic consequences.

What About Auditory Distraction?

In addition to visual, manual and cognitive distractions, some traffic safety experts add a fourth category: auditory distraction. This occurs when a driver hears or listens to something unrelated to driving, such as a song, podcast or passengers’ conversations. However, because listening to words or music also requires paying attention, auditory interruptions are typically grouped with other cognitive distractions.

Daydreaming: The Deadliest Form of Distraction

Most people associate distracted driving with cell phones and other electronic devices. However, when analysts from Erie Insurance evaluated data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), they discovered that daydreaming was the major cause of fatal distracted driving crashes.

In fact, 61% of drivers admitted they were daydreaming or lost in thought when the accident occurred, compared to 14% of drivers who were using cell phones at the time of the crash.

Furthermore, the data also showed that the highest number of fatal crashes involving daydreaming drivers occurred on Saturdays during the month of September. In contrast, the fewest fatal accidents related to daydreaming happened on Tuesdays during the month of February.

What Are the Top 10 Types of Distracted Driving?

According to the above-mentioned analysis of NHTSA data, the most common causes of fatal distracted driving accidents were as follows:

Type of distraction	% of distracted drivers
Daydreaming or lost in thought	61%
Using a cell phone (hand-held or hands-free)	14%
Looking at something outside the car	6%
Engaging with someone in the car	5%
Using a device other than a phone	2%
Eating or drinking	1%
Adjusting the radio or climate controls	1%
Using a vehicle function such as cruise control or GPS	1%
Being distracted by a pet, insect or other moving object	<1%
Smoking-related activity such as lighting or disposing of a cigarette	<1%

Recommended reading: Do You Know the Distracted Driving Laws Near You?

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