Have You Been Injured By A Distracted Driver?

Taking your eyes off the road for more than 2 seconds can have deadly consequences. According to the Auto Alliance, “The odds of a crash double if your eyes are off the road for more than two seconds.” Many drivers do this all too often only to realize once the damage is done there is no way to go back. The importance of keeping your eyes on the road isn’t just about awareness of other cars, it’s for your own safety as well.

Never take your eyes off the road for more than 2 seconds. More than 9% of traffic deaths in 2016 were linked to distracted driving. Cell phones, GPS devices and talking to passengers are all common road distractions. Drivers commonly check their phones to get updated on social media or their friends only to raise the risk of a deadly crash. Driver can be reminded to put their devices on hold until parking safely, but the temptation is commonly too much to ignore.

According to a distracted driving survey done in 2016, nearly 60% of respondents reported a cell phone reading or writing activity within the past 30 days. Reading texts was the most common, followed by writing texts and viewing maps.

Many states do not allow the use of devices legally while driving unless they’re connect through Bluetooth or the vehicles build-in screen that uses voice commands. What is most surprising is that making laws against distracted driving have no correlation in reducing crashes at all.

Seeing this as a growing problem, the NHTSA and the Auto Alliance have designed guidelines to make driving safer and limit distractions. Car makers and cell phone makers are encouraged to design displays that keep the drivers field of view open and disable information that isn’t necessary to see while driving a motor vehicle. Audi’s for example do not prohibit drivers from using the touch screen build in navigation system while driving and Volkswagens do. Most cars are setup to allow drivers to do many different things while driving such as changing the radio station, updating your playlist or finding a new route to your destination. This all comes at a cost as fatal crashes have increased to a dangerous rate over the last 50 years and with the rise of technology.

So no matter what the lesson to be learned is to avoid distractions at the wheel before it’s too late. Have you been hit and injured by a driver who was distracted at the wheel? You may have a case. Please call 505-242-7200 to discuss the incident and we will work to best assist you.