We know it’s dangerous because the statistics tell us it is.
Thousands of people are killed in crashes involving distracted driving each year. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 3,142 people died in 2019 because of distracted driving. It gets worse: The New York Times reported this year having the most severe increase in traffic deaths since the 1940s.
Several thousand annual deaths illustrate just how dangerous distracted driving can be. It’s also important to note that the number of deaths caused by distracted driving is probably much higher — we don’t have a completely accurate estimate because of under-reporting and deaths attributed to other causes, even though distracted driving played a role.
It causes cognitive distraction.
It may sound obvious, but you need to focus on the road when driving. Despite our attempts to multitask, the human brain is not very good at juggling multiple cognitive tasks at once. Multitasking overloads the system and degrades performance. When that task is driving, cognitive impairment can be deadly.
It causes visual distraction.
People often think they can glance quickly at their phone or the radio and then look back at the road without skipping a beat. In fact, taking your eyes off the road for just a few seconds when travelling 55 miles an hour is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.
It takes your hands away from the wheel.
“10 and two” is a tried-and-true driving formula. You need your hands on the wheel, ready to steer should an unexpected situation arise. When traveling at high speeds, momentarily taking your hands off the steering wheel can lead to loss of control of the vehicle. Even a simple, quick text could spell disaster for you and surrounding motorists.
What to do If You Were Injured by a Distracted Driver
If you live in Oklahoma, our experienced car accident attorneys are ready to help you decide what to do next. We can help you with your accident claim when another motorist has caused the crash that injured you. For a consultation, please call Johnson & Biscone at 405-232-6490.
