The Dangers of Distracted Driving
Thousands of people die or sustain serious injuries in car crashes across the United States each year. There are several common causes of collisions, including reckless driving, speeding, inexperience, poor weather and alcohol, but one of the most prominent and troublesome causes of car crashes remains distracted driving.
Distracted driving is a broad term that covers a wide range of possibilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least nine people die on American roads each year due to distracted driving incidents, and more than 1,000 people sustain serious injuries. The CDC defines distracted driving as driving while doing something that removes your attention from the act of driving, greatly increasing the possibility of a collision with other cars or fixed objects.
If you sustained injuries in a crash caused by a distracted driver, contact Rensch & Rensch Law for advice. A specialist Omaha personal-injury lawyer can advise you on the best way to proceed with your accident claim and may determine that you have a valid claim for medical expenses, lost wages or pain and suffering.
Our attorneys have more than 45 years of combined legal experience and have litigated more than 100 jury trials, and we can use this experience to help you with your accident claim. Call us today at 1-800-471-4100 to schedule a consultation, and read on for more information regarding distracted driving.
Types of Distracted Driving
According to Distraction.gov, the most common types of distracted driving include texting, eating, drinking, using a cellular phone, talking with fellow passengers, doing hair and makeup, using GPS systems or traditional maps for navigation and fumbling with entertainment systems. Of all the common in-car distractions, texting is the most dangerous because it is both a cognitive and physical distraction.
According to Distraction.gov, the attention required to operate cellphones makes them significantly distracting. Research suggests that the use of a hands-free device may help reduce the number of vehicle crashes, but even talking on the phone can reduce your ability to react to certain audio and visual clues that could have ultimately prevented an accident.
Who causes the most distracted driving crashes?
Studies by Distraction.gov indicate that inexperienced and young drivers are most at risk of distracted driving, and up to 16 percent of crashes caused by distracted drivers involve drivers under the age of 20. Even so, this is a significant problem across all age and population groups, and research suggests that at any given moment in the United States, more than half a million people are diving cars while using cellphones.
If you are suffering from injuries sustained in a car accident with another driver who was using a cellphone or was otherwise distracted at the time, schedule an appointment with an Omaha personal-injury attorney from Rensch & Rensch Law. We can evaluate the circumstances surrounding your incident and determine if you may have a legitimate claim. Call us today at 1-800-471-4100.
