Almost since the invention of the automobile, there has been distracted driving. The first commercial car radio debuted in 1930 and continues to distract today: we fiddle with the controls looking for a new song and belt out the lyrics to our favorite jams. From those humble beginnings, the vehicle marketplace continues to deliver distractions for drivers in many different forms. The different types of distracted driving fall into three main categories, with plenty of subcategories—learn about them here.

Manual Distractions

Manual distractions cause you to take your hands off the wheel—for any reason and for any amount of time. Your reaction time and ability to steer and avoid obstacles suffers when you don’t have both hands on the wheel. Eating, drinking, taking off a jacket, applying makeup, or playing with the radio are all examples of manual distractions.

Cognitive Distractions

Cognitive distractions may seem like the least dangerous type of distracted driving, but they’re deceptively sinister. Cognitive distractions are anything that takes your mind off driving. You may have your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road, but your mind isn’t focusing on driving, and your concentration is elsewhere. Talking to a passenger, speaking on a hands-free phone call, daydreaming, or experiencing an emotional problem are examples of cognitive distractions.

Visual Distractions

This is the distraction that comes to mind first for most people. Visual distractions include anything that cause you to take your eyes off the road and the traffic ahead of you. Reading a GPS device or a text message and looking at the scenery are examples of visual distractions. Gauges on the instrument panel can also be visual distractions, as you must take your eyes off the road to check your speed. Not keeping your eyes on the road while you’re driving is an obvious issue—if you aren’t looking at the road, you can’t avoid accidents or drive the car very well. When you need new rims and tires in Spartanburg, SC, come to RNR Tire Express. If we don’t have it, you don’t need it.