What is a cognitive distraction in distracted driving accidents? | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

Although visual and manual distractions can cause a driver to crash, cognitive distractions are the most dangerous. A cognitive distraction is a behavior or activity that takes the driver’s mind off the road. When a driver’s thinking is redirected from the road to some other focus, such as conversing with a passenger in the vehicle, they become unaware of what is taking place on the road in front of them. Although as humans we are able to multitask, our attention is not evenly divided as we are doing so.