Most everyone is in agreement that distracted driving is a major problem, and it leads to numerous, utterly avoidable accidents and untold tragedy. It’s admirable, then, that Ohio lawmakers want to pass a bill that will end distracted driving for good.
Their plan is to prohibit Ohio drivers from using their phones or any other electronic communication devices (like dispatch radios or walkie-talkies) while driving. It’s an ambitious plan, but a law like that isn’t likely to end distracted driving (although it may help a little).
Why isn’t banning cellphones and other communication devices enough?
The problem is that distracted driving doesn’t start and end with cellphones and other communication devices. There are actually three main types of distractions:
- Cognitive: Things that take your mind off the road and your driving
- Manual: Things that cause you to take your hands off the wheel of your car
- Visual: Things that cause you to look away from the road, even for a second
Cellphones are, arguably, among the worst distractions for drivers because they combine all three types of distractions, However, distractions are literally everywhere – and they existed long before the arrival of the cellphone. Other driving distractions include things like:
- Hunger, if a driver has their mind on their next meal
- Eating and drinking, such as when a driver goes through a drive-thru
- Tuning the radio or adjusting the temperature control
- Thinking about work, home or a list of chores and errands
- Trying to settle the kids down in the back seat
- Just being absorbed in a conversation with a passenger
In other words, the new law might help. However, it won’t stop humans from being prone to very human mistakes. If you’re the victim of a distracted driver, find out more about what you can do to obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses.
