Driving in Florida can be a very engaging task. To get to your destination successfully, you must involve every part of your body, including your eyes, ears, hands, legs, and, more importantly, your mind. As such, anything that interferes with any part of your body when behind the wheel is a distraction.
Cognitive distractions
This is a leading cause of motor vehicle accidents . They include daydreaming, being lost in thought, being engrossed in a conversation with your passengers or driving under the influence. Your reaction time significantly slows down when your mind is preoccupied or you are intoxicated.
Auditory distractions
Anything that takes away your hearing while driving is an auditory distraction. This could be playing music too loudly, talking on the phone or having a heated discussion with someone in the car. While you might think you can still pay attention to the road while engaging in any of these activities, research has shown that you cannot. You will likely miss important sounds such as a siren or another driver honking at you.
Physical distractions
These are distractions that take your hands off the wheel. They include fidgeting with the car’s controls, adjusting the seat or mirrors, eating, drinking, smoking and, more commonly, using a cell phone. These actions are quite dangerous because your hands are not in the proper position to make quick maneuvers in case of an emergency.
Visual distractions
These could be looking at something on the side of the road, checking directions on a GPS device, reading a text message and, of course, taking your eyes off the road to look at something in the car. You need undivided attention while driving to avoid missing important cues such as a stop sign or a pedestrian crossing the street.