- Distracted driving accidents result from manual, visual, and cognitive distractions
- Distracted drivers can reduce reaction time and lead to a driver missing an obstacle that can cause an accident
- Hundreds of thousands of distracted driving accidents happen every year
- Thousands of fatalities result from distracted driving every year
- Some severe injuries caused by distracted driving accidents include spinal cord injuries, bone fractures, and knee injuries
Drivers who commit reckless driving behavior can expose others to significant injuries, such as spinal cord injuries, bone fractures, and shoulder injuries. One negligent driving behavior that can cause a catastrophic car accident is distracted driving. This is when someone succumbs to manual, visual, or cognitive distractions that take their attention away from driving safely.
Distracted driving is an epidemic in the United States, causing hundreds of thousands of injuries every year. It is also a common cause of wrongful death on the road, with the health consequences of distracted driving accidents leading to thousands of deaths every year. Drivers must stay vigilant in focusing on driving safely to avoid causing severe accidents.
How Can Distracted Driving Cause a Car Accident?
Car accidents can result from a driver engaging in negligent driving behavior that either breaks driving laws or prevents them from driving safely. One common reckless driving behavior that many people can engage in is distracted driving.
This is when manual, visual, or cognitive distractions take someone’s attention away from driving. The driver may not have their hand on the wheel, eyes on the road, or mental focus on driving. When someone does not look at the road, they can miss stop signs, red lights, cars changing lanes, road debris, and other important visual information.
Distracted drivers will be unable to adjust to the things in front of them, as distractions can reduce a driver’s reaction time. Their reckless driving behavior can breach the duty of care they owe other drivers to prevent behavior that can cause a car accident. They can crash into another car and cause those inside to suffer severe injuries that can cause health complications.
Distracted Driving Statistics Show It Is One of the Major Causes of Car Accidents
Distracted driving leads to severe car accidents on a daily basis throughout the United States. There are hundreds of thousands of distracted driving accidents every year, with many drivers and passengers sustaining injuries that require hospitalization. These accidents can cause life-threatening health complications.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving caused 3,522 deaths in 2021. The impact of severe injuries can harm a person’s body to the point that they suffer wrongful death, which is why drivers should avoid distracted driving
Teen Drivers More Likely to Drive Distracted
Data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that teen drivers can cause distracted driving accidents at an alarming rate. Their data found a higher percentage of drivers ages 15-20 caused distracted driving accidents than those 21 and above. A 2019 survey found that 39% of teen drivers admit to texting or emailing while driving.
What Severe Injuries Can Result from a Distracted Driving Accident?
Victims of distracted driving accidents can suffer blunt-force trauma from the impact of the collision. A direct blow from a hard object, such as another car, their own dashboard, or a light pole, can damage the bones, tendons, muscles, ligaments, etc. Distracted driving accidents can cause severe injuries, resulting in long-term pain and suffering.
The following are some severe injuries caused by distracted driving accidents:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Facial injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Burn injuries
- Knee injuries
- Whiplash
- Back and neck injuries
- Internal injuries
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Distracted Driving Accident Claim
At The Russo Firm, our car accident lawyers can help you pursue compensation for damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. We understand how a distracted driver can expose you to life-altering health consequences and help you pursue compensation for car accident damages.
Our car accident lawyers have years of experience handling car accident claims and can use that experience to provide compassionate, informed legal counsel. Contact us for a free distracted driving accident consultation today at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Distracted Driving Accidents
What are the Three Types of Distractions Behind the Wheel?
There are three types of distractions that can take a driver’s attention away from driving safely. These distractions can affect a driver in multiple ways, as they can take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and focus away from safe driving.
The following are the three types of distractions while driving that can cause car accidents:
- Manual distractions: This is when someone takes a hand or both hands off the wheel to use them for something else. This can include texting, using social media, eating, drinking, or adjusting the music in the car.
- Visual distractions: Drivers can be distracted by looking at something other than the road in front of them, which can lead to car accidents. Visual distractions can include looking out the side window at something in the distance or looking at someone in the car while talking to them.
- Cognitive distractions: This is when someone has in-depth thoughts about something other than driving, such as what they need to do at work, a personal issue going on with their family, or what they want to make for dinner.
How Can You Avoid a Distracted Driving Accident?
Drivers must take it upon themselves to avoid causing distracted driving accidents. Manual, visual, and cognitive distractions can cause an accident, leading to severe car accident injuries. Drivers must take steps to avoid distractions so they do not expose other people on the road to significant injury risks.
The following are some ways to avoid distracted driving:
- Handle important business before beginning your commute
- Avoid multitasking
- Set up music before departing
- Put your phone on silent or do not disturb mode
- Eat before you leave for a trip
- Wake up earlier to give yourself more time to handle things that can distract you
How Can a Car Accident Lawyer Help You After a Distracted Driving Accident?
Hiring a car accident lawyer is an important step in the car accident claim process. After suffering a car accident with a distracted driver, a car accident lawyer can evaluate your case and establish a strategy for holding them accountable for their negligence.
Some ways they can help you include calculating your damages, determining who caused the accident, explaining your rights, and collecting evidence. They can also help negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company, which may try to deny, delay, or devalue your claim to keep their profits up.
