Distracted Driving Presents Serious Dangers

While new communication technologies offer numerous benefits, they have also contributed to an increase in the deadly practice of distracted driving.

2013-03-16

March 16, 2013 (Press-News.org) Distracted Driving Presents Serious Dangers

Article provided by Schauermann, Thayer, Jacobs & Staples
Visit us at http://www.stjps.com/

The recent emergence of cell phone technology has changed the way that we drive in the United States. Cell phones allow us to keep in touch with loved ones on the road, while Global Positioning System (GPS) devices help us to arrive at our destinations safe and on-time. While these technologies offer numerous benefits, they have also contributed to an increase in the deadly practice of distracted driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,092 people were killed and an additional 416,000 were injured in accidents involving distracted drivers in 2010, the last year for which statistics are available. Overall, approximately 18 percent of all motor vehicle crashes involved driver distraction in 2010.

Texting: The Most Dangerous Driver Distraction

Any activity - including eating, using a navigation device, talking on a cell phone, adjusting an MP3 player, or even talking to passengers in the vehicle - that requires a driver to take his hands from the wheel, remove his eyes from the road, or divert his attention from the immediate task of driving can be dangerous.

Out of all activities, texting while driving is one of the most dangerous because it requires the driver to divert his manual, visual and cognitive attention from the road all at the same time. What is worse, the problem is only likely to increase: according to the NHTSA, the number of text messages sent and received in the United States increased over 50 percent from summer 2009 to summer 2011.

Emerging technologies are also causing concern among safety advocates. Specifically, some auto manufacturers are rolling our systems that allow drivers to access the Web while driving. Like texting, these devices require the manual, visual and cognitive attention of the driver, which renders them potential hazards on the highway. Though automakers are also developing technologies that will allow drivers to use these devices safely, only time will tell whether people are able to use them responsibly.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney

If you or someone you love has suffered injury in a car 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 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.

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