Disturbing Facts about Distracted Driving and Car Crashes
Distracted driving is an unfortunate fact of everyday life. Drivers on the road talk on mobile phones, send text messages, eat, apply makeup, shave, and do all sorts of things that take their full attention off of the road. We’d like to share some facts that should make you think twice before you let yourself get distracted while driving.
Distracted Driving Behaviors Can Lead to Auto Accidents
As part of a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers were placed into a simulator and asked to perform a series of distracted driving tasks. While distracted, the research team examined different aspects of the driver’s performance, including how closely they were following behind the car in front of them and how well the drivers stayed in their lanes. The drivers were asked to perform four different tasks – tuning the radio, dialing a cell phone, adding an address into the car’s on-board GPS system, and texting.
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- While tuning the radio, the average driver left their lane only 1.16 times. That number only went up slightly for dialing a phone and for adding an address into GPS.
- While texting, however, the average driver left their lane 2.96 times – that’s like starting in the high-speed land and then suddenly finding yourself running off the road.
Driving while distracted happens more often than some people will admit. When asked what sorts of distracted driving behavior they have participated in, drivers admit to a wide range of tasks. Only 8% of drivers admit to applying makeup while driving, while 41% admit to making phone calls, 44% admit to eating and drinking in the car, and as many as two out of every three drivers admit to adjusting the radio while driving.
Distracted Driving May be Linked to Millions of Car Crashes Annually
More than 10 million auto accidents occur in the United States every year. Those accidents result in over 32,000 deaths each year. Distracted driving is a significant contributor to that number – so much so, that the US Department of Transportation has recently announced that they will begin to measure distraction-related traffic fatalities in their own separate category starting with the next set of statistics.
The US Department of Transportation is beginning a new groundbreaking study to examine drivers as they participate in distracted driving activities. For a period of two years, certain drivers will have cameras and other data-gathering devices placed in their cars. Data from that study is expected to shed new light on distracted driving behaviors in the real world.
Have You Been Harmed in an Auto Accident Through the Fault of Another?
If you or a loved one has been in an auto accident, you should consider contacting a personal injury lawyer with experience in handling these types of cases. The personal injury attorneys of d’Oliveira & Associates, would like to meet with you and discuss the investigation of your automobile accident. Our law firm has represented and assisted numerous automobile accident victims in bringing lawsuits against other drivers and insurance companies alike, and there are no fees unless we are successful. To have a member of our law office contact you, please fill out a contact form or call us at 1-800-992-6878.
d’Oliveira & Associates: 390 Broadway Providence, RI 02909 – (401) 831-8600