Dangers Of Distracted Driving

One common form of reckless driving that millions of Americans are guilty of every day across the nation is distracted driving. In fact, an estimated 80 percent of all respondents on a recent survey admitted to driving while distracted at least once in their life. This can include a number of actions from putting on makeup to reaching for something in the backseat or even talking with a passenger instead of paying attention to the road.

Even if you are an experienced or skilled driver, multi-tasking in the car can be very dangerous and causes thousands of accidents every year across the country. According to the website of Ritter & Associates, when a driver diverts his or her attention away from the road, they cannot respond quick enough to avoid an accident, or in some cases, even cause an accident by rear ending another vehicle or running off the road.

Common Distractions for Motorists

Recent campaigns against texting or using a cell phone and driving has raised a large amount of awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. Some examples of driving while distracted include the following actions:

• Eating or drinking in the car – In todays fast-paced world, many meals are eaten on the go. Unfortunately, this can be very dangerous and could result in an accident.
• Bringing pets in the car – Pets can be a very big distraction, especially when they are free to roam all over the vehicle.
• Using headphones – Personal music players like the mp3 player have given people access to thousands of songs. Unfortunately, when drivers use them and wear headphones, they may not be able to hear emergency vehicle sires and other sounds necessary for driving safely.
• Texting and talking on cell phone – Many reports suggest that a person texting and driving is more impaired than one driving under the influence of alcohol.
• Putting on makeup – Many women put on makeup in the morning on the way to work if they are running late.

To learn more about how you can take legal action after suffering an injury in an accident caused by a distracted driver, contact a personal injury lawyer today.