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Distracted driving: a real danger for all motorists

On Behalf of | Aug 10, 2016 | Car Accidents |

Many motorists on New York’s roadways have probably seen other drivers preoccupied with their smartphones while at the wheel. Perhaps they were reading their emails, visiting a popular social networking website or even playing a video game, such as Pokémon Go. In any case, using a mobile phone device while driving accounts for around 25 percent of all vehicle wrecks, according to an estimate by the National Safety Council.

Today more than ever, people are viewing Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google Maps while driving. In a nation-wide study involving 2,500 high school students, roughly 70 percent of teenagers said they use apps while they drive. When they were asked about the most dangerous behavior to do while driving, six percent said it was using their phones to access social media, a fourth said it was texting or sending messages and less than a third said it was being drunk. The National Safety Council also did a survey of 2,400 drivers of various ages and found that about a third use Instagram while driving, 37 percent use Twitter and almost 75 percent use Facebook while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports roughly eight individuals die and about 1,000 are hurt daily in vehicle wrecks because of a driver who was using a mobile phone device, eating or preoccupied w another activity while driving. Because distracted driving is an under-reported issue, these statistics may be significantly higher.

Distracted driving car accidents have the potential to cause severe injuries or even death to anyone who becomes involved in the incident. Anyone who was injured or who lost a loved one in an accident caused by a distracted driver might consider filing a claim for losses directly linked to the crash. Victims might benefit by consulting a local attorney for direction with the claim.

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