Distracted driving can lead to car accidents which can injure victims and leave their lives changed forever. Victims of distracted driving should be familiar with how personal injury legal protections can help them when they have been unexpectedly harmed by a distracted driver.
Distracted driving accidents by the numbers
Each year, distracted drivers cause 391,000 injuries and nearly 3,500 deaths in the United States each year. Each day, 100 victims die in car accidents and 9 of those fatalities are caused by distracted driving.
What is considered distracted driving?
Distracted driving involves a number of different behaviors that may be benign if engaged in while not driving. Distracted driving includes any behavior that removes the driver’s attention from driving, hands from the wheel or eyes from the roadway. It can include snacking, eating or drinking while driving; putting on makeup or grooming while driving; using a cell phone to talk or text while driving; drowsy driving; reaching for object while driving; looking at an object outside of the vehicle; and adjusting a radio or navigation device while driving.
The risk levels for particular types of distracted driving can be progressive but all can be dangerous. Listening to a radio is considered risk level one while talking on a cell phone is considered a level two risk and using a speech text application is considered level three, or increased, risk. An example is that while driving a 55 miles per hour, sending or reading a text removes the driver’s eyes from the roadway for approximately 5 seconds which is the length of traveling a football field while not watching the roadway.
When distracted drivers decide to engage in negligent distracted driving behavior, a personal injury claim for damages can help the victims with the damages the distracted driver causes. For that reason, victims of distracted driving-related car accidents should be familiar with the legal resources and remedies that can help hold distracted drivers accountable for their damages.
