Traffic safety experts classify distractions into three main types: Manual, Visual and Cognitive.
Manual distractions are those where you move your hands from the wheel.
Visual distractions are those where you focus your eyes away from the road.
A cognitive distraction is when you’re mind wanders away from the task of driving.
Texting involves all three types of distraction.
Cell Phone Use:
People are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08%. University of Utah
Cell phone users are 5.36 times more likely to get into an accident than undistracted drivers. University of Utah
Sending or reading a text message takes your eyes off the road for about 5 seconds, long enough to cover a football field while driving at 55 mph NHTSA
Drivers are not taking this seriously enough:
Over 84% of drivers recognize the danger from cell phone distractions and find it “unacceptable” that drivers text or send email while driving. Nevertheless, 36% of these same people admit to having read or sent a text message or e-mail while driving in the previous month. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety