Washington Written Drivers Permit Practice Test

Distracted driving is recognized as a major cause of accidents due to the significant impact it has on a driver's ability to focus on the road. Distractions can come from various sources, such as texting, using a phone, adjusting the radio, or even engaging in conversation with passengers. When a driver diverts their attention away from driving—even for a split second—they may miss critical visual cues, fail to react promptly to sudden changes in traffic conditions, or make poor judgments. This increase in inattentiveness correlates strongly with a heightened risk of collisions.

In contrast, driving too slowly is often less of a direct cause of accidents than distractions, as it usually does not create hazardous conditions unless the speed is significantly under the limit for the roadway. Obeying traffic signals is essential for safe driving and reducing accidents, representing responsible behavior on the road rather than a cause of collisions. Driving without headlights can indeed pose risks, especially in low visibility, but it is usually not as prevalent a factor as distracted driving in the overall statistics of accidents. The prominence of distractions in current data on roadway incidents underscores why it is considered one of the leading causes of accidents.