Distracted Driving is a Public Safety Issue
According to Go Safely California, nearly 60% of California drivers surveyed in 2019 said they had been hit or nearly hit by a driver who was talking or texting on the phone. Nationally, 3,166 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2017, the most recent year statistics are available.
Distracted driving is a very serious and dangerous problem that is not limited to talking or texting on a cell phone. There are all manner of behaviors drivers engage in that end up distracting them from focusing on driving and often causing accidents.
Some of these other distractions besides talking on the phone and texting include the following:
· Eating and/or drinking
· Having exciting conversations with other passengers
· Reading books and other material
· Adjusting or checking navigation monitor on the dashboard
· Consulting a traditional map for directions
· Changing or searching for a desired radio station or playing music
· Grooming and even changing clothes
· Watching a video or other display in the car
All these and other distractions are categorized in three groups as to how they affect a driver engaged in any one of them or some combination:
Manual distractions are things a driver does that take one or both hands off the steering wheel so they can do something else such as eating or drinking and practically anything else that takes their hands off the wheel.
Visual distractions are things a driver does that cause their eyes to wander off the road and therefore becoming a danger to anyone sharing the road with them. Examples of visual impairment are texting and looking at navigation.
Cognitive distractions are distractions that do not fall in the manual or visual distraction category; rather, this is when a driver is distracted by something in their mind as opposed to taking eyes off the road or hands off the steering wheel.
Call a Beverly Hills Car Accident Attorney
If you have been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, call Jalilvand Law at 310.478.5800 or reach us online today for a free consultation as to what can be done to recover compensation for your injuries.