Distracted Driving Leads to Accidents
Stay Focused on Driving to Avoid Accidents and Stay Safe
The National Safety Council (NSC) has designated April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. This month, the Council focuses on the dangers of distracted driving by raising awareness of it and encouraging drivers to reduce the distractions they face. Distracted driving is 100 percent preventable, and when drivers choose not to drive distracted, they prevent car accidents and save lives.
Texting and Driving is More Dangerous than Driving Drunk
Research shows that texting while driving is more dangerous than driving drunk. One recent study by Car and Driver magazine tested this by having drivers in different states of distraction and intoxication brake when prompted to do so by a red light in a test vehicle. Traveling at 70 miles per hour on an empty air strip, unimpaired drivers took .54 seconds to brake after seeing the light. Drunk drivers traveled an additional four feet before braking, and text messaging drivers did not brake until they had traveled 70 feet after seeing the red brake signal.
Other Types of Distracted Driving
Although text messaging is often discussed as one of the most dangerous distractions drivers face, it is not the only distraction they face. Other dangerous distractions that can cause drivers to collide with pedestrians, other vehicles, and stationary objects include:
- Eating while driving;
- Adjusting the vehicle’s radio and onboard computer;
- Grooming while driving;
- Looking at signs and other objects outside the vehicle, rather than directly at the roadway; and
- Interacting with passengers in the vehicle.
Stay Alert Behind the Wheel to Prevent Collisions
You cannot control other drivers’ choices, but you can actively choose not to drive distracted. A few ways to avoid distracted driving and the accidents it causes include:
- Putting the phone down while you drive. Some drivers find it helpful to silence their phones while they drive or keep them in the glove compartment or back seat;
- Choosing not to eat or drink while the car is in motion. If you are hungry or thirsty, park the vehicle before consuming food and drinks;
- Keeping your emotions in check. Another distraction drivers face is their own thoughts. If you feel angry or intimidated following a road rage incident or you are preoccupied by something that happened earlier in the day, you are not as focused on the road as you should be. Take a moment to calm your mind and banish intrusive thoughts; and
- Keep the radio at a low to moderate volume. Not all distractions are visual – when your music is so loud you cannot hear what is happening outside the vehicle, you cannot react quickly to any hazards you face.
Work with an Experienced Nashville Car Accident Lawyer
If you are injured in a collision with a distracted driver, you have the right to pursue compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. To learn more about this process and your rights as an injured victim, contact the Law Offices of Bednarz & Bednarz today to set up your free case consultation with our team of experienced personal injury lawyers.
