When you drive, you must pay attention to a lot of things while you're behind the wheel such as your speed, direction, road conditions and what other drivers and pedestrians are doing. Add non-driving related activities to the mix and there's a potential for disaster. Combine all that with other drivers who are not paying attention and it becomes even more important to pay attention. Distracted driving injures and kills thousands of people every year.
What is distracted driving?
Distracted driving is not just texting or talking on a cell phone. Some types of distracted driving involve things such as eating, tuning the radio and letting your mind wander. Anything that takes your hands off the wheel or your eyes off of what is going around you is a potential problem. Even navigational devices can be a distraction at times. Texting is particularly dangerous because it combines three types of distractions at once: taking the eyes off the road, your mind off what you're doing and your hands off the wheel.
How can distracted driving be minimized?
The best way to completely eliminate distracted driving is to only focus on your driving and nothing else. This may mean turning off the radio and silencing any devices. Ideally, it's best to drive only when you are fully alert and can keep your mind on driving. While hands-free devices eliminate the need to take your hands off the wheel, they can still take your mind off the road, so keep calls to a minimum. The radio should only be adjusted and maps should be read when the vehicle is stopped.
What are the possible consequences of distracted driving?
Even taking your eyes off the road for a few seconds can mean that you're missing a lot of what is happening on the roadway. According to Distraction.gov, taking your eyes off the road for as little as five seconds at 55 mph means that you will travel the length of a football field without looking at the road. The human brain is not designed to pay full attention to two things at once and each task you do takes your attention off another task. This results in a higher chance of making a mistake which, in the case of driving, could mean serious injuries to either yourself or another person.
When you don't drive with distractions, you can pay more attention to what is going on with other drivers and pedestrians and are more likely to properly respond to serious situations. If you've been injured by a driver whom you think may have been distracted, contact an attorney like Bangel, Bangel, & Bangel to see what options are available in your case.
Share3 May 2016
When I was injured in a slip and fall accident a few years ago, my family and friends had a hard time relating to the things I was going through. While some people thought that my decision to file a lawsuit was frivolous, others were under the impression that I would walk away as a millionaire. Their lack of personal experience with this type of legal problem left me feeling alone during one of the most difficult times in my life. That is why I decided to start this blog so that accident victims from all over would have somewhere to come to get the information and support that they need. I truly hope that this page can be that place for you.