Texting and driving serve as one of the most potentially lethal forms of distracted driving currently known. Statistics consistently show that drivers who text end up in more frequent crashes and that these crashes often have a higher rate of severe injury or death.
But why is this the case? What about the act of texting while driving makes it such a considerable danger?
Physical and visual distractions
SafeWise looks into the dangers related to texting while driving. To understand the actual threat behind texting while driving, it is crucial to understand the three primary forms of distraction that drivers can experience.
First, you have visual and physical distractions. They are relatively self-explanatory. Visual and physical distractions serve as anything that interrupts your ability to do these things.
For example, looking at a crash on the opposite side of the highway could be a visual distraction. Meanwhile, even adjusting your heat or the radio station could count as physical distractions.
Mental distractions
Then, you have mental distractions, which are the hardest to account for. This includes anything that takes your mind off the task at hand, i.e., driving. This could consist of trying to focus on finding a new destination you have never been to before, thinking about what to make for dinner, or worrying about your upcoming day at work.
Texting while driving combines all three of these distraction types. This is what makes it a considerable risk for any driver, regardless of driving experience. This is also why so many campaigns exist specifically to spread the news of why texting is such a big issue.