Distracted driving is an epidemic in the U.S. Distracted driving includes all of the different types of behaviors that can take a driver’s attention off the road. Although distracted driving is most often linked to cell phone use, there are a number of other activities that can cause drivers to take their focus off of driving.
When a driver looks away from the road or takes their hands off the wheel, the consequences can be deadly. In the moment that the driver looks away from the road, the driver in front of them could hit their brakes or an object could fly into the road. If the driver is distracted when that occurs, the driver may not be able to react in time.
Some common behaviors that can be very distracting for drivers include texting while driving, talking with passengers, reaching for the radio, eating, putting on makeup, reaching for moving objects, or looking at external objects. Thousands of Americans are killed each year and hundreds of thousands more are injured because of distracted drivers. Those people may have been in the car with the driver, riding in another vehicle, or walking as pedestrians or riding their bicycles. Sadly, these accidents are completely preventable and the injuries that occurred from them never should have happened.
The biggest distraction on the roads today is arguably texting. Although any type of cell phone use can distract the driver, texting is often the most dangerous because it normally requires a driver to look away from the road. Texting while driving is against the law and can be sued in a personal injury case to prove negligence on the part of the driver.
If you have been injured in an accident because a driver was texting while driving, you need to speak with a personal injury attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles automobile accident attorney at 310-385-0567. My team can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule your free consultation.