Distracted driving is one of the biggest threats to drivers on the road, resulting in about 3,000 deaths every year. This includes people who text and drive, as well as others who engage in activities like eating and drinking, engaging in personal hygiene, or even those who change the radio while driving. Here are some of the ways that distracted drivers cause motor vehicle accidents:
- Failing to see other vehicles
- One of the major problems that distracted driving causes is that it can take a person’s eyes off the road. This means that they are less likely to see a vehicle in front of them suddenly stopping, or failing to see another vehicle going through an intersection in front of them. This gives them far less time to react to a potential crash, and in some cases, they may literally not see an accident happen until it is too late.
- Failing to see pedestrians
- Pedestrians are at an especially high risk of an accident from distracted driving. It is easy for drivers to not notice pedestrians crossing the road, especially at night, and distracted driving only makes this worse. By failing to pay attention to the movement of pedestrians, distracted drivers place other people’s lives at unnecessary risk.
- Taking their hands off the wheel
- Distracted driving is not necessarily just about not seeing what is in front of them. It is also about taking their hands off the wheel to do other things, like holding food, hairbrush, or makeup kit, or using it to text on their cell phone. Suffice it to say that if your hands are doing something else other than holding a steering wheel, you will have a much harder time avoiding a potential accident.
- Not noticing road conditions
- Even if your eyes are on the road and you have your hands on the wheel, distractions can still take your mind off of driving in a potentially dangerous way. This includes things like changing the radio, talking on a speaker phone, or even dealing with children or other passengers in the backseat. You may not notice road hazards like potholes that can potentially cause accidents, and you may miss someone suddenly running in front of your car, leading to a pedestrian accident.
- Delaying reaction times
- Finally, there is the simple risk of delaying reaction times due to being distracted. The window to avoid an accident may only be a couple of seconds, and even a fraction of a second delay can mean the difference between having an accident or avoiding it entirely, or at least minimizing the harm done. The more distracted you are, the less likely you are to react in time to avoid the worst outcome in an accident.
The Suffolk County personal injury law firm of McGuire, Peláez and Bennett is conveniently located in Central Islip near the Central Islip Court facility on Long Island. We will work diligently in every way to help you make the best of difficult times. We will help you to process your insurance and no-fault claims without charge to ensure that your medical expenses and property damages are compensated. We will also work with your doctors to monitor your recovery progress to ensure that you are reimbursed for your pain, suffering and economic loss. Please give us a call at (631) 348-1702, or visit our contact page to learn more.
Send Us An Email