New technologies lead to new dangers on our nation's highways
Over the past decade, cell phones have become an essential tool for people in nearly every walk of life. While these devices definitely have their benefits, they are also responsible for the emergence of a significant threat on our nation's highways: distracted driving.
March 13, 2013
New technologies lead to new dangers on our nation's highwaysArticle provided by Noel M. Ferris
Visit us at http://www.noelmferris.net
Over the past decade, cell phones have become an essential tool for people in nearly every walk of life. While these devices definitely have their benefits, they are also responsible for the emergence of a significant threat on our nation's highways: distracted driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,092 people were killed and an additional 419,000 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers in 2010, the last year for which statistics are available. Distracted driver related car crashes accounted for a staggering 18 percent of all motor vehicle accidents that year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving impacts thousands of drivers each day and the problem is not likely to disappear any time soon:
-Approximately 15 people are killed each day in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers
-About 1200 people are injured each day in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers
-Over 50 percent of drivers between the ages of 18 and 29 admit to using their cell phones to text, compose email and check social media networks while behind the wheel
Any activity that causes a driver to divert the entirety of his attention from the immediate task of driving can be dangerous. This includes not only using a cell phone, but also talking to passengers, eating, adjusting a radio or MP3 player or reading a navigation device. What makes activities like texting and composing emails particularly dangerous is that they involve manual, visual and cognitive distraction. In other words, these activities require a driver to remove not only his hands from the wheel and his eyes from the road, but also his full attention from what is happening on the road around him.
Though lawmakers in many states have passed bans on cell phone use while driving in recent years, it is still soon to tell whether these efforts will succeed. As people become increasingly dependent upon their cell phones and less willing to be disconnected for even short periods of time, the problem is only likely to get worse.
A personal injury attorney can help
If you or someone you love has been injured in a motor vehicle accident due to the negligence of a distracted driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney. A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can assess your case and help you get the fair and adequate compensation you deserve for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. For more information about what a personal injury attorney can do for you, contact a lawyer today.