On a daily basis, numerous motorists in Georgia and elsewhere get behind the wheel of motor vehicles. While this is a common activity, as people need to get to work, school, the store and other locations, it is also an activity that carries with it many risks. Drivers don’t just simply drive anymore. They play with the radio, talk on their phone, text, eat, drink, put on make-up and talk to passengers. Distracted driving is a very dangerous situation, which is why there are many initiatives to reduce this on the roadways.
Unfortunately, these initiatives do not rid the roads of distracted drivers. According to current data, over 8 people are killed and another 1,161 injured by a distracted driver every day. These high numbers illustrate how serious the problem is.
There are three types of distractions. The first is visual, which means the driver takes their eyes off of the road. The next is manual, which refers to taking you hand off of the wheel. The final type is cognitive, which is taking your mind off of driving. Distracted driving could be one of these, two or these or all three; however, distracted driving is dangerous no matter how many areas it impacts.
Cell phones are major culprits for accidents caused by distracted drivers. There are over 2.5 million people in the U.S. that are involved in car accidents each year. Of these, 1.6 million have a cell phone involved in them. This mounts to 64 percent occurring on U.S. roadways. This means that over half of the motor vehicle accidents occurring in the U.S. involved a cell phone.
Using a cellphone while driving is a dangerous activity. If a driver causes a crash because they were distracted, those harmed in the crash may have legal recourses. A personal injury action could help the victim hold the driver accountable and recover compensation for losses and damages.
