Inside the Vehicle
Inside the vehicle, you may be distracted by passengers, your cell phone, grooming activities like the application of make-up, eating or drinking, changing the radio station, arguing or talking, reading a map, trying to restore order among children or pets, or countless other stimuli. A study done by The New England Journal of Medicine revealed that the chances of causing a collision double when a person sips a drink or lights a cigarette while driving; it quadruples when a person speaks on the phone. Hands-free phones do not reduce this statistic, indicating that it is the driver's attention that makes the difference, rather than his or her hands being otherwise occupied.
Preview Outside the Vehicle
Events occurring outside the vehicle also cause distractions. These include interesting objects, nice scenery, items in store windows, buildings, sites, passersby, as well as other vehicles or their occupants. So-called "rubbernecking" - looking at hazards, crashes, or disabled vehicles - is also a major cause of avoidable traffic jams.