Accident statistics make it very clear that distracted driving is dangerous. It leads to numerous car crashes, injuries and even fatalities every year. For instance, some reports claim that it causes more than 3,000 traffic deaths annually.
But many distractions are things that people can actively avoid. Texting and driving is a distraction, so they can turn off their phone when they’re in the car. Programming the GPS is a distraction, so they can type in their destination before they pull out of the driveway. There are options to stay safe.
While this works for many distractions, it does not work for one of the most predominant: Getting lost in thought. Often, drivers can’t avoid it because they don’t even realize it is happening.
The wandering mind
These distracted drivers who cause accidents are often suffering from a wandering mind. They’re thinking about something else, but it’s nothing in particular. They’ve just zoned out or become lost in thought, so they’re no longer focused on driving. This harms their reaction times and leads to driving mistakes.
One reason why this can happen is when the driver is bored. Maybe they drive on the same route every day as they commute to and from work, so they stop thinking about it as closely. They may zone out and not even remember driving home.
But it can also happen when someone just has a lot on their mind. Maybe a driver coming home from work is still thinking about a project they didn’t have time to finish. Maybe they’re thinking about the vacation they want to take next month.
In many cases, drivers’ minds wander without those drivers even realizing it’s happening, so they don’t know that they’re distracted until they cause an accident. Those who have been injured in such crashes, need to know how to see financial compensation.
