What percent of driving is mental?

Driving is primarily a cognitive task, involving significant mental processing. Studies and expert opinions suggest that around 90% of driving is attributed to mental capabilities. This encompasses various mental activities such as perception, decision-making, and the ability to anticipate and react to the actions of other drivers and pedestrians.

In the context of driving, mental skills include understanding traffic laws, keeping track of multiple variables (like speed and distance), and making timely judgments based on the environment. The estimation that 90% of driving is mental reflects the importance of these cognitive processes compared to the physical act of operating the vehicle, which is a smaller portion of what it means to drive safely and effectively.

The other percentages would undervalue the cognitive effort required to navigate traffic, manage distractions, and anticipate potential hazards, which are critical to safe driving.