Statistics on Distracted Driving Fatalities
In the United States, distracted drivers frequently cause more fatalities than drunk driving or speeding. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study found there are 9 deaths per day that are caused by distracted drivers and over 1,000 are injured.
What is Distracted Driving?
A distracted driver is someone driving a motor vehicle while engaging in any activity that draws his or her attention away from driving. While most of us tend to think of distracted driving as operating a vehicle while talking or texting on the phone, it actually constitutes many things. Activities such as eating, talking to a passenger or playing with the car stereo can be just as distracting, and unfortunately, just as deadly.
Studies have found that we really cannot multitask but rather we focus on one activity at a time. In fact, our brains bounce rapidly between the various activities in which we are engaged. Of course, focusing on anything other than driving can be quite dangerous. In the time it takes to write a text, a car on the highway may travel more than the length of a football field. That’s a long distance to travel with no eyes on the road.
Different Types of Distracted Driving
There are three primary ways a driver may be distracted, and thus cause a distracted driving accident:
- Looking somewhere other than the road (such as at a phone or a passenger)
- When a driver physically removes his or her hands off the steering wheel to adjust another control in the vehicle such as the radio
- When drivers are mentally distracted on other thoughts and not focused on driving or their surroundings
Interestingly, using a mobile phone distracts a driver in all three of these manners and is thus particularly dangerous.
Texting and Driving in Florida
Florida is lenient about texting and driving compared to many states. In Florida, texting while driving is not a primary offense, meaning a driver cannot be pulled over for texting and driving. However, a summons may be issued if a driver is pulled over for another reason and is seen texting by a police officer.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Motor Vehicle Accident Case in Florida
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in Florida? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Lawlor, White & Murphey represent clients injured in all types of motor vehicle accidents such as truck accidents, motorcycle accidents and car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and throughout Southern Florida. Call 855-347-5475 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 2211 Davie Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33312.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.