A Track Record Of Successful Results
Photo of Joshua Nielsen
Photo of Joshua Nielsen
Photo of Joshua Nielsen

Inattentional blindness vs. distracted driving

On Behalf of | Jul 7, 2021 | car accidents

The lack of safety features and the protection of a frame mean motorcycle collisions with passenger cars and trucks in North Carolina often have devastating results. As a rider, even if you take precautions, it may not be enough.

Expectation plays a role in what people see. According to Psychmechanics, attention is a limited resource, and inattentional blindness results when the brain focuses on only essential and relevant details to conserve resources. When the eyes see something the brain doesn’t expect, a person may lose critical information.

Inattentional blindness

Inattentional blindness, also called perceptual blindness, occurs when a person looks but doesn’t see, missing crucial details. A driver, used to seeing cars and trucks, may not see a much smaller object, such as a motorcycle or moped. The person may look in your direction without noticing you are there, then pull out in front of you.

Inattentional blindness, also called perceptual blindness, occurs when a person looks but doesn’t see, missing crucial details. A driver, used to seeing cars and trucks, may not see a much smaller object, such as your motorcycle or moped. The person may look in your direction without noticing you are there, then pull out in front of you.

Distracted driving

Distracted driving typically occurs when the person behind the wheel multitasks, focusing on something other than the road. The brain has difficulty focusing on more than one or two simultaneous tasks, which can result in driving through a red light or missing a street sign. It could also mean that they miss seeing you driving down the road.

Whereas distracted driving involves negligence, inattentional blindness does not. It’s critical that you understand your rights and your options for recovering damages in your unique situation to help pay for expenses related to your injuries.

Archives