Driving is second nature to most people, even those who have been doing it for just a short amount of time. However, driving is an act that requires a great deal of concentration and focus. Just think about all of the driving assist features that automakers have been adding to their cars over the years; features like emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. All of those features—and more besides—were, and still are, conducted by the person behind the wheel.
The Effects of Distracted Driving
When a driver is distracted they are far more likely to cause an accident. If a person glances at their phone for just five seconds while traveling at 55 MPH, they can cover the length of a football field. A lot can happen during that time, including the distracted driver colliding with the vehicle ahead of them or drifting out of their lane. Things can get particularly bad if the driver hits someone who is not in a vehicle like a pedestrian crossing the street or a cyclist riding close by. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of nine people are killed every day because of distracted driving accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that in 2017 there were 3,166 fatal traffic accidents that were caused by distracted driving. Out of that number 599 of the victims were not in vehicles, meaning that they were pedestrians, cyclists, or other non-occupants. Though anyone can drive distracted, teenagers are the demographic most likely to engage in this behavior as 8% of drivers in the fifteen to nineteen age range were involved in fatal crashes caused by distracted driving. These are grim statistics that show just how dangerous distracted driving can be and why it presents a danger to everyone on the road, not just other motorists. That is why it is important to hire a distracted driving lawyer if you or a loved one was involved in an accident that was caused by a distracted driver.
