Distracted driving affects thousands of Americans annually. It is dangerous and a leading cause of motor vehicle accidents today.
While the statistics slightly fluctuate annually, the CDC reported over 424,000 injuries and 3,100 fatalities due to motor vehicle accidents resulting from distracted driving in recent years.
Injury victims or families suffering the wrongful death of a loved one due to distracted driving should consult a Winder car accident lawyer immediately. There’s no need to face this alone. You may be eligible to recoup financial losses and other damages, including pain and suffering.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving involves a whole matter of circumstances. However, there are three basic categories these distractions fall under:
- Visual Distractions: When a driver takes their eyes off the road.
- Manual Distractions: When a driver takes their hands off the steering wheel.
- Cognitive Distractions: When a driver takes their mind off of driving.
Young adult and teenage drivers are more at risk for distracted driving than other driver age groups. About one in five accident victims who die in collisions are not in vehicles. These include pedestrians walking, riding bicycles, or anyone outside a motor vehicle.
Most Common Causes of Distracted Driving
While several states have enacted laws to help prevent distracted driving, numerous Americans drive while distracted daily. The most common causes of distracted driving involve:
Cell Phone Use
Unsurprisingly, cell phone use is a leading cause of distracted driving. Cell phones can distract drivers in various ways, such as:
- Talking to someone
- Texting
- Taking selfies
- Scrolling or watching short video content on social media
- Creating short video content to upload to social media
- Going live on social media behind the wheel
- Adjusting music streaming services
- Using third-party GPS or map apps
- Checking emails or work-related communications in apps
Texting is a particularly alarming distraction, often causing drivers to take their eyes off the road for five seconds at a time. At 55 MPH, that's equivalent to driving the length of a regulation football field (360 feet) with your eyes closed.
Passengers
Other vehicle occupants are another significant factor in distracted driving. Motorists can't give their full attention to more than one thing. If a passenger is talking their ear off or they're involved in a heated discussion, drivers can quickly become distracted.
Tending to children in the backseat is another passenger distraction that causes parents to become distracted.
Eating, Drinking, or Smoking
Drivers who eat, drink, or smoke while driving are required to take their hands off the wheel. There are many reasons why your hands are to remain on the steering wheel. Additionally, when a driver concentrates on a cheeseburger or cigarette, their mind is not focused on driving.
Adjusting Vehicle Controls
Vehicles are equipped with many features that may distract drivers. These features require drivers to take their hands off the wheel while focusing on adjusting controls rather than the road in front of them. Vehicle features that cause distracted driving include:
- Adjusting climate controls and vents
- Adjusting the stereo or GPS
- Opening or closing a sunroof
- Maneuvering the seat or seat belt while driving
Motorists unfamiliar with their vehicle may also become distracted, looking for controls when their function becomes necessary, such as windshield wipers and headlights.
Reaching for Items
Grabbing for items in a moving vehicle requires a driver to take their eyes and hands off the steering wheel. Often, drivers who reach around to the back seat pull the steering wheel, causing it to veer into other lanes.
If an improper lane change caused your distracted driving accident, consult a car accident attorney to discuss your legal recourse to recover compensation.
Moving Objects
Moving objects, such as a dog, cat, or other loose pet or a soda bottle rolling around on the vehicle floor, are another cause of distracted driving. Moving objects can obstruct views or pose dangers, such as getting under a brake pedal and preventing a driver from stopping.
Watching Outside Events
It's common for drivers to be curious and take their eyes off the road. Drivers who crank their necks halfway around to observe a car crash or other event outside their vehicle are called rubberneckers. Rubbernecking is a considerable driving distraction that can lead to auto collisions.
Daydreaming
Daydreaming is another common driving distraction that leads to motor vehicle accidents. Motorists who have daily commutes may be inclined to zone out because the familiarity of the same drive becomes background to other things, including daydreaming.
Fatigue
Drowsy driving is as dangerous as driving drunk, with studies showing that being awake for 18+ hours is the equivalent of having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05 percent. Drowsy driving slows reaction time, increasing the risk of a crash.
Personal Grooming
Motorists who practice daily hygiene on the road are more likely to cause distracted driving accidents. Drivers' everyday grooming habits that cause collisions include applying makeup, tweezing, shaving, applying lotions or deodorant, and brushing hair and teeth.
What to Do After a Distracted Driving Accident
If you or a loved one have been involved in a distracted driving accident, there are three critical next steps: get a medical evaluation, document your injuries and damages, and hire a car accident attorney.
Get a Complete Medical Evaluation
The first thing you must do following a distracted driving collision is to seek medical attention. A physician will give you a complete medical evaluation to assess symptoms and injuries.
They will advise you on any limitations or restrictions on daily or other activities, including returning to work. Finally, if you suffer injuries, the medical evaluation is the first step in documenting them for your attorney and distracted driving accident claim.
Document Injuries and Damages
Get a journal and keep a dated and detailed account of your accident, injuries, and recovery. Things to document are as follows:
- A detailed account of the distracted driving accident
- Photos of your injuries immediately following the crash
- Pictures of accident scene and vehicle damage
- Notes about your pain levels and anything that worsens or betters them
- Any loss of activities or difficulty performing everyday tasks, like getting dressed and doing chores
- Medical and rehabilitation appointments
- Travel expenses to and from medical appointments
- Receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses
The more detailed your entries, the better. Your injury journal can help prove the economic and non-economic damages incurred from the distracted driving accident. An attorney can advise you on anything else to include in your injury journal, pending the circumstances of your accident.
Hire a Car Accident Attorney
There are many benefits to hiring an attorney experienced with distracted driving accidents, such as:
- Comprehensive case investigation
- Gathering and preserving evidence
- Identifying and interviewing witnesses for valuable statements
- Working with accident reconstruction specialists to pinpoint liability
- Consulting experts, including medical, automotive, vocational experts, and economists
- Analyzing and presenting the data in a way that proves negligence
Lawyers who handle distracted driving cases typically work on contingency, meaning there are no upfront costs, and they only get paid if you do. There is zero financial risk to hiring an experienced car accident lawyer to handle your legal needs after an accident.
Schedule a free consultation with injury attorneys in Winder, GA to discuss the details of your case. You may be entitled to substantial compensation for your financial losses and pain and suffering.