A study by the National Safety Council estimated that 28 percent of car accidents involve someone texting or talking on the phone. Distracted driving is an epidemic. Any behavior that takes a drivers’ attention off the road can be labeled as distracted driving and is a sure way to heighten your risk of accidents. Texting while driving is one of the riskiest of all distractions, and much too common on the road today. Eight y-one percent of drivers in the U.S. admit to sending a text while driving.

The Types of Distracted Driving
There are three general types of distracted driving: visual, manual and cognitive. Visual distractions are anything that takes the driver’s eyes off the road, such as turning to see someone in the backseat, reading a map, or watching a video. Manual takes the driver’s hands off the wheel, like eating while driving. Cognitive distractions can be anything that takes the driver’s focus off the task at hand, like using a hands-free phone.

Why Texting and Driving is Dangerous
Texting is one of the distractions that involves all three types of distractions. When you’re texting, your eyes are on your phone, at least one hand is off the wheel, and your mind is busy composing a text or reading a text. For these reasons, texting while driving is even more dangerous than using a cell phone behind the wheel. Anything that is that big of a distraction is just too dangerous to do while driving a car.

Playing It Safe
When you get into your car, the safest thing you can do is to silence your cell phone. If you’re still tempted to look, place is on the floor of the passenger seat or in a bag in the backseat. Make it hard to access as you break the texting habit. Any texts that come in while you’re driving will need to wait until your destination. If you must respond to something immediately, find a safe place to pull over and stop while you send or read text messages.

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