Newport News Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer

Distracted driving accidents are caused by a wide range of activities that divert a driver’s attention away from the road. Some of the most common types of distractions include:

1. Cell phone use: This includes texting, talking, using social media, browsing the internet, or any other smartphone use. Texting is especially dangerous as it combines visual, manual, and cognitive distractions.
2. Eating and drinking: Consuming food or drinks while driving is distracting, as it often requires drivers to take his or her hands off the wheel and his or her eyes off the road.
3. Using in-car systems: Adjusting the radio, climate control, navigation system, or other in-car technologies diverts attention from driving.
4. External distractions: Distractions outside the vehicle, such as billboards, accidents, scenic views, or even people on the sidewalk, draw a driver’s attention away from the road.
5. Passengers: Conversations with passengers, particularly intense or emotional discussions, are a significant distraction, especially for inexperienced drivers.
6. Personal grooming: Actions such as applying makeup, shaving, or fixing hair while driving lead to impaired focus and control of the vehicle.
7. Daydreaming: Mental distractions, even without physical tasks, significantly impair an individual’s driving ability.
8. Reaching for objects: Trying to pick up items from the floor, backseat, or glove compartment causes a driver to cause a collision. 
9. Pets and children: Unrestrained pets or active children in the car are a major source of distraction for a driver.

As of January 1, 2021, Virginia law forbids motorists from holding cell phones or any other wireless communication devices while operating a vehicle. Exceptions to this rule include situations of driver emergency or when the vehicle is legally parked or stopped.