A distraction while driving is considered to be any activity that takes a driver's attention away from their responsibilities of controlling the vehicle, making quick decisions, following traffic laws, and responding to their environment. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,474 people lost their lives in 2009 in the United States and an estimated additional 448,000 suffered injuries in motor vehicle collisions involving distracted driving. There are many forms of distracted driving. It only takes a moment of inattentive driving to cause a serious accident.
Some examples include:
- Eating and Drinking: Drivers in a rush may attempt to save time by eating as they drive. But it is an extremely dangerous form of distraction, which could have catastrophic consequences.
- Cell Phone Use: Many states have adopted hands-free laws regarding cell phone use because of the dangers using a cell phone while driving creates. A recent study showed that 67 percent of 25- to 34-year-old drivers talk on their cell phones while driving.
- Texting While Driving: Texting is often even more distracting then simply making a phone call because a user must focus on the phone instead of the road. One out of seven U.S. drivers have admitted to texting while driving.
- Using the Radio: Changing a CD, adjusting the radio or fiddling with other controls in a car while driving is a common distraction that can lead to an accident.
- Other Passengers: Drivers talking to passengers and children in the car may take their eyes off the road.
- Inattentive Driving: Some people may simply let their mind drift off while driving. Being lost in thought is a form of distracted driving that may be difficult to prove in court.
To stop the rise in distracted driving accidents, more states are prohibiting the use of cell phones behind the wheel. For instance, many states ban texting while driving, which the NHTSA calls "by far the most alarming distraction." Texting behind the wheel is dangerous because composing, sending or reading a text message requires visual, manual and cognitive attention from the driver at a time when the driver should be focused on the road. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted laws that prohibit sending messages via mobile devices (texting) while behind the wheel. Ten states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving.
Distracted Driving is a Known Safety Hazard
Any action that takes a driver's attention away from the safe operation of a motor vehicle is a form of "distracted driving." But the prevalence of cell phones in our society has fueled the rise in distracted driving.
Texting is by far the most dangerous activity of them all because it requires the visual, manual and mental attention of the driver. Current injury and wrongful death statistics related to texting and driving are alarming. In 2011 alone, 3,331 people died in fatal car accidents that were caused by a distracted driver. On top of that, 387,000 people sustained injuries in automobile accidents that were caused by a distracted driver. After taking a poll, 40% of American teenagers admitted to being in a car where the driver was using a cell phone or hand held device that put everyone else in danger.
By using a handheld device while you are driving, you are automatically 4 times more likely to get into an accident severe enough to injury yourself. Texting on the other hand, raises that risk causing accidents to be 23 times more likely to happen than a driver who is not distracted. To put it in perspective, if someone is driving at around 55 mph and they look down at their phone for approximately 4.6 seconds, then they have already traveled the length of an entire football field, without paying attention to the road.
The increasing popularity of smart phones and blackberries has only increased the problem of distracted driving. Countless drivers speed down the road while texting, dialing or emailing and they don't realize the risks and all the lives at stake.
Our Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers Can Help You
Our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to making strides to prevent deadly distracted driving car accidents and we will protect the rights of innocent people who are injured in these car accidents. When your car accident occurred at no fault of your own, the burden of steep medical bills or loss of income should not fall on your shoulders.
Call J. Clay Benson, Attorney at Law, (334) 356-1925, or toll free at (855)-94J-CLAY or use our online contact form for a free, no-obligation initial consultation. If our lawyers can assist you, we will proceed on a contingency-fee basis. This means we don't get paid for our services until you recover money. Please call as soon as possible to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.