How to Avoid Accidents and Injuries as a Result of Distracted Driving

KANSAS CITY, MO, May 09, 2013

When driving a car, truck or other motor vehicle, anything that takes your mind or eyes off the road or your hands from the steering wheel is a dangerous driver distraction with potentially devastating consequences. These driver distractions can and do lead to serious, life-altering injuries and death.

Avoiding car accidents is as simple as taking seriously the level of attentiveness and responsibility required while driving a motor vehicle. Sadly, driving becomes just another daily rote task for many of us, and we forget that while cars provide us with tremendous convenience, when behind the wheel we hold the power to injure and kill ourselves, our loved ones and others.

The chance of causing injury or death while driving greatly increases when we take our focus and divide it among other tasks that require attention, such as texting or other cell phone use. It is well known that texting while driving is the cause of many accidents, resulting in injury and death. Similarly, engaging in a voice call on your cell phone greatly increases your risk of being in an accident.

The following are some common driver distractions reported to have caused accidents on the road:

- Use of cell phone or other handheld device
- Conversing with passengers
- Searching or reaching for an item in the car
- Looking intently at something outside of your vehicle
- Applying make-up and/or grooming yourself
- Reading maps or other materials
- Eating while driving

It may come as a surprise that eating, for example, is included in a list of driver distractions leading to injury. However, it is precisely tasks familiar to us, such as eating, that often pose the highest risk of distracting us while driving. Eating not only involves chewing, swallowing, and trying not to make a mess, but also includes opening and closing packages, reaching and leaning for food, spilling, and many more distractions that can cause your eyes to stray from the road. It only takes a brief moment of inattentiveness to cause an accident that could lead to serious injuries or death.

The best way to avoid a car accident as a result of driver distraction is to simply keep your attention focused on the task at hand-- driving. While driving, if your passengers are distracting you from the road, you can politely request that they help you keep focused by not demanding too much of your attention. You can also encourage them to assist you with tasks such as navigating with either a map or GPS.

If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of distracted driving, contact an experienced and professional personal injury attorney in your area for guidance through the process of receiving compensation.

Website: www.adlerandmanson.com