At times, our thoughts can feel like they’re racing faster than the traffic around us while we’re on the road – but letting our minds stray behind the wheel is a form of distracted driving. Mental distractions can be just as dangerous as physical ones, whether we’re consumed by anger, worry and stress, or just simply letting our minds wander.
This wandering is also known as “inattention blindness,” or looking but not seeing. You may have experienced inattention blindness if you’ve suddenly found yourself pulling into your destination and wondering how you got there. This autopilot mindset means that your brain was less focused on the important task of driving safely, leading to slower reaction times behind the wheel.