Distracted Driving
Distracted driving continues to be a chronic problem on our roadways. Distracted driving includes doing almost anything besides focusing on driving while behind the wheel. Texting or talking on a cell phone inside the vehicle pulls our attention away from the task of driving. When serious injuries occur a pedestrian accident lawyer Mesa AZ should be consulted.
Texting is one of the most unsafe distractions, experts estimate that a driver spends at least 5 seconds sending or reading a text. Traveling at 55 mph, is the equivalent of driving greater than the length of a football field, with your eyes closed!
In a 2016 study, 60% of people admitted to using their phone while driving. In a poll conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 69% of respondent drivers between the ages of 16 and 64 admitted to calling on the phone while driving and 31% sent or read a text message. The rates of phone usage were highest among the youngest drivers and in the West and South.
Phone usage is not the only source of distracted driving. In a HealthDaily poll, 86% of respondents admitted to eating or drinking while driving, 20% combing their hair, and 14% applying makeup. All of these activities divert the driver’s attention and pose safety risks to others.
A pedestrian accident lawyer Mesa AZ can advise an injured victim about legal remedies.
In 2016, 3,450 people died in car crashes caused by distracted driving. An additional 391,000 were injured. There is an estimated one crash every 24 seconds caused by a driver distracted by phone use.
One tragic recent example in Arizona was when a Salt River tribal police officer was killed by a distracted driver. On January 8, 2019 Officer Clayton Townsend was standing by the driver’s side door during a traffic stop when a vehicle crossed two lanes of traffic and struck him, on the Loop 101, south of the McDonald Road off-ramp. The driver was reading a text message from his wife about plans for the night and responding via voice-to-text. A witness saw the driver looking down at his phone before crossing two lanes of traffic and striking the officer.
Teens have an especially high rate of distracted driving collisions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that 25% of all crashes involving teens were caused by distracted driving. The NHTSA recommends that everyone in the family signs a pledge to never drive distracted, and that the pledge is followed up by conversations about the responsibilities that come with driving.
Driving impaired is another type of distracted driving. Impaired drivers are unable to evaluate if they are impaired. Drinking slows reaction time, it takes longer for the brain to process a situation, and respond. Drinking may affect motor skills, including eye, hand and foot coordination, which may affect the ability to avoid or perceive a dangerous situation.
A pedestrian accident lawyer Mesa AZ from the Law Office of Paul Englander, PLC can advise an injured victim about a possible personal injury claim for damages, for injuries sustained, and for medical bills and economic losses, suffered since the collision and for the future.