Driving requires your full attention. Even a momentary distraction can prevent you from seeing a stopped vehicle, a pedestrian crossing the road, or a sudden change in traffic conditions.

Distracted driving happens when anything takes your attention away from the task of driving. While many people immediately think of texting behind the wheel, distractions can also include eating, adjusting the radio, using a navigation system, talking to passengers, or becoming lost in thought.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving contributed to 3,208 deaths and more than 315,000 injuries in the United States in 2024. The CDC also identifies three main types of distraction: visual, manual, and cognitive.

The good news is that distracted driving is preventable. By preparing before you leave, managing your phone, and making driving your only priority behind the wheel, you can significantly reduce unnecessary distractions.

What Is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is any activity that diverts your attention from driving safely.

This can include:

• Texting or messaging

• Talking on a handheld phone

• Scrolling through social media

• Eating or drinking

• Adjusting the radio or entertainment system

• Programming a GPS or navigation system while moving

• Applying makeup or grooming

• Reaching for objects

• Talking with passengers

• Looking at something happening outside the vehicle

• Thinking about something so intensely that your attention is no longer on the road

Some distractions may seem harmless because they only take a few seconds. However, driving situations can change quickly. A vehicle can stop suddenly, a pedestrian can step into the road, or traffic can slow down without warning.

When your attention is divided, your ability to recognize and respond to those hazards may be reduced.

Texting is particularly dangerous because it can involve all three major types of distraction at once. You may look away from the road, take your hands off the wheel, and focus your mind on the message rather than driving. NHTSA notes that reading or sending a text can take your eyes off the road for approximately five seconds.

What Are the Three Main Types of Distraction?

Distracted driving generally falls into three categories: visual, manual, and cognitive distraction.

Visual Distraction: Taking Your Eyes Off the Road

Visual distraction occurs when you look away from the road.

Examples include:

• Reading a text message

• Looking at a GPS screen

• Searching for something in the car

• Looking at a passenger

• Watching an accident or event outside the vehicle

• Adjusting the radio or touchscreen

Even when your hands remain on the steering wheel, looking away from the road can make it more difficult to identify hazards in time.

Manual Distraction: Taking Your Hands Off the Wheel

Manual distraction occurs when you remove one or both hands from the primary task of controlling the vehicle.

Examples include:

• Holding a phone

• Typing a text

• Eating

• Drinking

• Smoking

• Reaching into the back seat

• Searching through a bag

• Adjusting controls

Some activities may appear to require only one hand for a short time. However, the risk increases when the activity also causes you to look away or think about something other than driving.

Cognitive Distraction: Taking Your Mind Off Driving

Cognitive distraction occurs when your mind is not focused on driving, even if your eyes are on the road and your hands are on the wheel.

Examples include:

• Having an emotionally intense conversation

• Thinking about work or personal problems

• Daydreaming

• Feeling extremely stressed or upset

• Becoming absorbed in a phone conversation

Cognitive distraction can be easy to overlook because the driver may appear to be driving normally. However, being physically behind the wheel does not necessarily mean the driver's attention is fully on the road.

Many common activities can involve more than one type of distraction. For example, texting can be visual, manual, and cognitive at the same time.

10 Practical Ways to Avoid Distractions While Driving

Knowing that distracted driving is dangerous is important. Creating habits that prevent distractions before they happen is even more effective.

1. Put Your Phone Away Before You Start Driving

One of the simplest ways to prevent distracted driving is to make your phone inaccessible before you start the vehicle.

Place it:

• In the glove compartment

• In a bag

• In the center console

• In the back seat

• In the trunk when appropriate

If your phone is within easy reach, you may be more tempted to check a notification or respond to a message.

You can also activate your phone's driving mode or Do Not Disturb feature to reduce incoming notifications while you are on the road. Some technologies can limit phone interactions while a vehicle is moving.

2. Set Up Your GPS Before You Leave

If you need navigation, enter your destination before you begin driving.

Take a moment to:

• Set your destination

• Review your route

• Adjust the volume

• Mount your phone securely

• Confirm that voice directions are working

If you need to change your route, pull over somewhere safe before interacting with the navigation system.

Never assume that because a GPS is designed for driving, every interaction with it is safe while the vehicle is moving.

3. Avoid Texting and Messaging While Driving

Text messages can wait.

If you receive an important message, wait until you reach your destination or pull over in a safe location before responding. Do not stop in a dangerous location, such as a travel lane, shoulder with limited visibility, or another area where you may be exposed to traffic.

If you are traveling with a passenger, you can ask them to handle messages or navigation for you.

The safest message to send while driving is no message at all.

4. Finish Eating and Drinking Before You Leave

Eating while driving may seem like a convenient way to save time, but it can create several distractions at once.

You may need to:

• Hold food

• Open packaging

• Reach for a drink

• Look down

• Wipe spills

• Manage hot food

A spill can create an unexpected emergency. Instead of eating while driving, eat before you leave or take a break at a safe location.

5. Adjust Your Mirrors, Seat, and Controls Before Moving

Take care of small adjustments before you begin your trip.

This includes:

• Adjusting your seat

• Setting your mirrors

• Choosing your music

• Adjusting the climate controls

• Securing loose items

If you need to make a significant adjustment while driving, pull over when it is safe to do so.

A few seconds of preparation can prevent you from trying to manage several tasks while also controlling a moving vehicle.

6. Secure Children, Pets, and Loose Objects

Passengers, children, and pets can create distractions inside the vehicle.

Before leaving:

• Secure children in the appropriate restraint system

• Make sure pets are properly restrained

• Secure loose objects

• Store bags and other items safely

If something falls, do not reach for it while driving. A dropped phone, toy, water bottle, or bag can wait until you are safely stopped.

7. Limit Distracting Conversations

Passengers can make a journey more enjoyable, but conversations can sometimes become distracting.

This is especially true when a conversation is:

• Emotionally intense

• Stressful

• Loud

• Requiring the driver to look away

• Causing the driver to think deeply about something unrelated to driving

Passengers can also help prevent distracted driving by recognizing when the driver needs to concentrate. If you are a passenger and notice the driver becoming distracted, politely encourage them to focus on the road.

8. Do Not Drive While Emotionally Overwhelmed

Strong emotions can affect your concentration.

Anger, anxiety, sadness, excitement, or intense stress can all make it more difficult to focus on the road.

If you are too upset to concentrate, consider taking a few minutes before driving. If possible, delay the trip until you feel able to give driving your full attention.

This does not mean that every emotional moment makes someone incapable of driving. The important question is whether your thoughts and emotions are interfering with your ability to pay attention to traffic and respond to hazards.

9. Keep Your Hands Focused on Driving

Avoid activities that require you to handle objects while the vehicle is moving.

Do not:

• Search through a bag

• Apply makeup

• Groom yourself

• Pick up dropped objects

• Handle a phone

• Open complicated packaging

If you need to do something that requires your hands, pull over safely first.

10. Make “Phone-Free Driving” a Personal Rule

The most effective way to prevent distracted driving is to establish a simple rule: when you are driving, you are driving.

You can make this easier by:

• Activating driving mode automatically

• Silencing notifications

• Keeping your phone out of reach

• Telling friends and family that you will respond when you arrive

• Asking passengers to handle navigation or messages

• Pulling over whenever you need to use your phone

The goal is to remove the decision from the moment of temptation.

Are Hands-Free Systems Safer Than Handheld Phones?

Hands-free systems can reduce some types of distraction because they allow drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel and avoid holding a phone.

However, hands-free does not necessarily mean distraction-free.

A hands-free conversation can still create cognitive distraction because the driver's mind is engaged in a conversation rather than focused entirely on the road. NHTSA notes that research has found little or no safety advantage from hands-free phones compared with handheld phones in some situations.

Hands-free technology may be useful for certain vehicle functions, particularly when it reduces the need to look at or physically handle a phone. However, drivers should not assume that using voice commands or Bluetooth makes every phone activity safe.

The safest approach is to minimize phone use while driving whenever possible.

If you need to make a call, send a message, change a route, or perform another task that requires significant attention, pull over safely first.

Why Avoiding Distractions Matters

Distracted driving can affect more than the person behind the wheel.

A distracted driver can put at risk:

• Passengers

• Other motorists

• Motorcyclists

• Cyclists

• Pedestrians

• Emergency responders

Driving requires continuous attention because road conditions can change in seconds. A driver who is looking down at a phone may miss a red light. A driver reaching for an object may fail to notice traffic slowing ahead. A driver focused on an emotional conversation may not react quickly enough to an unexpected hazard.

For insurance consumers, distracted driving can also have serious financial consequences. A crash may lead to vehicle repairs, medical expenses, lost income, liability claims, and potentially higher insurance costs depending on the circumstances and applicable state laws.

While no insurance policy can prevent a distracted-driving accident, having the right auto insurance coverage can help protect you from the financial burden that may follow a crash. Depending on your policy, coverage may help pay for damage to your vehicle, injuries to others, and other covered losses resulting from an accident.

At Tennessee Auto Insurance Agency, we help drivers find auto insurance coverage that fits their needs and budget. Whether you are looking for liability coverage to help protect you financially if you cause an accident or broader coverage for your own vehicle, having the right protection in place can make a significant difference when the unexpected happens. Ready to make sure you have the coverage you need? Click here to get your auto insurance quote and find the right protection for your vehicle and budget.

Avoiding a distraction is far less costly than dealing with the consequences of a preventable crash.

These Tips Are Especially Important for New and Teen Drivers

New and teen drivers are still developing their driving skills and learning how to identify and respond to hazards.

Because they have less driving experience, distractions can make it more difficult to manage unexpected situations.

The CDC identifies young drivers as a group at increased risk for distracted driving. Among fatal crashes involving distracted drivers in the United States in 2019, a higher percentage of drivers ages 15 to 20 were distracted compared with drivers age 21 and older.

Parents should also model the behavior they expect from young drivers. Teenagers are more likely to take safe-driving rules seriously when they consistently see adults following them.

For new drivers, the best habit is to develop a phone-free driving routine from the beginning.

Conclusion

Distractions do not always look dangerous. Sometimes they involve only a quick glance at a phone, a bite of food, or a conversation that becomes more intense than expected.

But driving requires your attention every second you are behind the wheel.

The simplest way to prevent distracted driving is to prepare before you start moving, put your phone away, and avoid multitasking. If something requires your eyes, hands, or significant attention, wait until you are safely parked.