Personal injury lawyers are all too familiar with car accident lawsuits. Most personal injury claims involve automobile accidents, even if a large majority of those, too, end up in settlements. While being the victim of distracted driving is rarely ever avoidable, it is essential to know the most common types of distractions that lead to severe accidents. By learning this information and only driving when entirely focused on the task at hand, you can ensure that any accident you are involved in will not be because of your own negligence. Driving with a coffee in your hand may not seem to be a legal infraction, but it can cause a lot of issues.
Dangerous Distractions While Driving
In most personal injury lawsuits, especially if the settlement amounts reach into the high 6-figure range, the amount of liability you have for the accident will correlate with what percentage of the settlement you are entitled to. Therefore, you are always incentivized to avoid distractions while driving, even if you drive well enough not to endanger your fellow drivers.
Food and Beverages – The hustle and bustle of everyday life lead many to eat and drink while on the go, but this has consistently been shown to increase the reaction time of drivers, causing them to get into more accidents that could have otherwise been prevented. While the act of eating and drinking does not drastically lessen your driving skills, the constant need to avert your eyes from the road to pick up and put down your meal is a danger to those around you. Driving with only one hand has also been shown to lead to more preventable accidents, especially involving pedestrians and cyclists, where quick turns are crucial.
Electronics – Most people understand the immense changes in lifestyle that electronics have brought into our daily lives. It can be hard to completely shut them out during a drive, but it is essential for keeping you and everyone around you safe. Texting and driving take your focus off the road and hands off the wheel, which obviously leads to more accidents and severe injuries. However, even hands-free options, like Bluetooth calling, can reduce your focus while driving.
Newer models of cars are also coming standard with center screen consoles that control many aspects of the car, like GPS, music, windows, and more. For most potential distraction options on these built-in computers, a warning will display asking whether or not you are the driver or passenger in an attempt to stop drivers from driving while distracted. However, these can be easily ignored. Before driving, make sure your music, GPS, and relevant information are set up and ready to go.
Passenger Distractions – Humans are naturally sociable and eager to interact with the ones they love, but driving should always be your main focus when behind the wheel. As the driver, practice speaking to your friends or family without looking over at them. It can be a bit strange at first, but it allows for eyes to remain on the road and dramatically enhances the safety of everyone in the car.
You should also never risk the safety of your passengers by trying to get involved in squabbles between children in the backseat of the car. If necessary, turn off the road and into a parking lot to settle any minor disputes. Fully turning your head and scolding kids in the backside gives you no opportunity to react to the road ahead of you.
Distracted driving causes thousands of accidents yearly, and even if you are a safe driver, you might end up involved in these sorts of accidents. If you have been the victim of a car accident caused by a distracted driver, and are looking to file a personal injury claim or personal injury lawsuit, call the attorneys at Probinsky & Cole.
