Drivers have a duty to take necessary steps to keep themselves and others around them safe. One part of doing this is to make sure that nothing takes their focus away from driving. Some people who have been driving a while think that they can safely multitask while they’re driving, but that’s never a safe choice.
Approximately nine people die in distracted driving each day, and many more suffer serious injuries. The victims of these crashes aren’t always people in vehicles; some are bicyclists and pedestrians.
Distractions can vary greatly. Some are visual distractions that make the driver take their eyes away from the road. Others are cognitive distractions that lead the driver to think about something other than driving or manual distractions that cause the driver to take their hands off the steering wheel.
Some actions that a driver does while driving may include more than one of those. But, the end result is the same in all cases—the driver isn’t giving their full attention and ability to driving.
The length of time the driver is distracted doesn’t have a major impact on the danger. Even a five-second distraction can be deadly. That’s the amount of time it takes to read a text message. In that period, a vehicle would move the full length of a football field if the driver is going 55 miles per hour, which is significantly lower than interstate speeds.
Victims of distracted driving crashes may face significant medical care needs if they survive. They may decide to seek compensation for the financial damages they’re dealing with. This is a time-sensitive matter that must be handled carefully, so working with someone familiar with these cases may be beneficial.
