Driving is a routine activity for millions of commuting Americans. Generally, people arrive to and from work safely without major incidents.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. There are thousands of car crashes every day in the U.S. and up to 80% of these involve some kind of driving distraction.
What are the most common driving distractions?
The use of electrical devices
Nowadays, there is little that our cell phones can’t do. They even provide Sat Nav services that drivers utilize all the time. However, cell phones can become a dangerous distraction if used inappropriately while driving.
A phone call takes your mind off of the road and even sending or receiving a text means driving blindly for hundreds of meters. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that up to 27% of all road traffic collisions stem from cell phone use.
Carrying passengers
Traveling alone can be tiresome and it can certainly be nice to have some company. Many people carpool to make the commute less stressful and costly. For some families, using the car is the only way to get the kids to school each day.
In any case, passengers can be a distraction. For instance, if the children are acting out and throwing toys around the vehicle, this could result in an accident. If a passenger has become a distraction then it’s important that the driver pulls over and reminds them of safe car etiquette.
You can only control what happens in your own vehicle. If a distracted driver has caused an accident that resulted in your injuries, be sure to look into your legal options.