Final answer:
Driving distractions most often lead to inattentional blindness, which is failing to notice unexpected objects due to the focus on another task, and is a significant risk when driving.
Step-by-step explanation:
Driving distractions can lead to inattentional blindness. This is a type of lack of awareness to unexpected objects in one's visual field when attention is focused on something else. It occurs because our attentional capacity is limited, and when it's directed at a primary task, we might fail to notice other stimuli.
An example of inattentional blindness can be observed in a study where participants focused on white or black objects moving across a screen and often missed a red cross that also passed through the screen. This concept is particularly relevant to driving because it explains how a driver might not perceive unexpected events, like a pedestrian stepping onto the road, if they're distracted, for instance, by using a mobile phone or operating a navigation system.