Distracted Driving Tips

Distracted driving occurs any time you take your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off your primary task: driving safely. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of being involved in a motor vehicle crash.

Types of Distractions

Visual: Eyes off the road

• Reading a text message

• Looking up directions

• “Rubbernecking” at a crash site

Manual: Hands off the wheel

• Reaching for things inside the vehicle
• Using a hand-held device
• Adjusting the radio
• Eating or drinking
• Applying makeup

Cognitive: Mind off driving

• Talking on the phone
• Arguing with a passenger
• Thinking about your next appointment

Talking and texting on a phone are driving distractions. Texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distractions. The human brain has limited ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time. When driving is not your sole focus, you pay less attention to possible dangers on the road.

Sources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. CMV Driving Tips - Driver Distraction. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/driver-safety/cmv-driving-tips-driver-distraction. Accessed 6 April, 2026.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Motor Vehicle Safety - Distracted Driving. https://www.osha.gov/motor-vehicle-safety/distracted-driving. Accessed 6 April, 2026.