Distracted driving may involve behaviors other than texting. Any activity that limits the ability to focus on the road ahead and the vehicle is a potential distraction. Distractions that involve looking somewhere other than the road or taking their hands off the wheel are also a potential safety concern.
Conversations with others, whether hands-free conversations on a mobile phone or face-to-face conversations with passengers, can easily become a source of distraction that splits a person’s attention between maintaining control of the vehicle and engaging with another person. Researchers have explored how distracting conversations can be while operating a vehicle.
The less a driver mentally focuses on traffic and their vehicle, the greater the risk they have of overlooking something critical to safety. Generally, are in-person conversations or phone conversations more distracting for drivers?
Phone conversations are a bigger distraction
Research into distracted driving makes it clear that any conversation can force a driver to split their focus, but phone conversations tend to be more distracting overall. People who must input phone numbers or hold their devices while driving may experience manual and visual distraction, in addition to cognitive distraction. It is generally advisable to minimize phone use whenever possible while driving.
While passengers can be distracting, especially if a driver chooses to take their hands off of the wheel to gesticulate or take their eyes off the road to make eye contact, the overall degree of cognitive distraction is slightly lower during in-person conversations rather than mobile phone conversations.
Some conversations can be helpful to safety. Drivers and passengers may discuss traffic conditions, which prompts the driver to be more cognizant of their surroundings. Additionally, the passenger can also help identify road hazards and can advise the driver to slow down or move into another lane of traffic if they haven’t yet reacted. Passengers and drivers can work together to keep conversations from becoming a dangerous source of distraction, possibly by avoiding emotional topics and limiting eye contact.
Regardless of the source of distraction, a driver who doesn’t properly monitor their surroundings may be liable if they cause a collision. Filing an insurance claim or possibly a lawsuit can help those injured by distracted drivers cover their collision expenses.