Study provides insight on distracted driving

In our last post we wrote about teen drivers and car accident rates in New Jersey and discussed the possible link to distracted driving and cellphone use. Researchers have been investigating this issue, seeking insight into what makes distracted driving so dangerous in an effort to prevent car accidents.

A recent study looked at multitasking and its effect on the brain, since many people seem to think that they are better at multitasking than they really are which may be leading to an increased rate of distracted driving.

Technology used to track eye movements showed that when people had two visuals tasks, theirs eyes moved around significantly more than when they had one visual and one audio task. The two different types of multitasking were designed to simulate the type of tasks one would do while driving. Researchers said that both types of multitasking were difficult, but that visual multitasking was more potentially distracting to drivers.

This research is important to New Jersey drivers in a few ways. First, better understanding of how we multitask and what types of behaviors are distracting will likely inform legal reforms in both criminal and civil car accident cases. Second, a heightened awareness of what constitutes dangerous driving behavior may help New Jersey drivers to abstain from texting or making calls while behind the wheel, which would hopefully lead to fewer car accidents and injuries.

To find out more about your rights when you’ve been injured by a distracted driver, check out our law firm’s website.

Source: Insurance Journal, “Why Some Types of Multitasking Are More Dangerous Than Others,” July 27, 2012.