Our attorneys at Richard Schwartz & Associates Injury Lawyer, P.A. are proud to recognize Distracted Driving Awareness Month 2021 this April and join the national effort to reduce distracted driving throughout the United States. With about 3,000 U.S. residents being killed each year in accidents involving distracted driving, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our team encourages you to help mitigate these statistics.
A National Focus on Texting and Driving
In Mississippi, and across the US, many drivers have heard the slogan “Don’t text and drive!” — and for good reason. Texting while driving is among the leading types of distracted driving.
Per the National Safety Council (NSC), teens are the most likely to text and drive despite a majority of these teens being educated on its dangers. Still, the problem is not at all isolated to a single age group, but rather compounded by the prevalence of texting and driving across all age groups. For example, in surveying teens on distracted driving, researchers from Pew Research Center heard many teens explain how their parents text and talk while driving, with some believing that their parents “could manage their phones safely” and drive.
Texting behind the wheel does not get safer with age or experience. Regardless of your age, texting takes your attention away from the road. Per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the average text is estimated to take five seconds to send, which means that at 55 miles per hour, you have driven the length of a football field without looking where you are going. What is worse, many drivers do not send only one text but have an entire text conversation behind the wheel. Keep yourself and others safe; don’t text and drive.
Other Common Types of Distracted Driving
While many drivers are aware of the risks and dangers of texting and driving, they may not know the other distractions they take part in behind the wheel.
Several other common types of distracted driving include:
- Snacking, eating, drinking
- Personal grooming, fixing makeup, shaving
- Changing clothes or taking off a sweater
- Adjusting the radio or air conditioning controls
- Playing with an embedded “infotainment” system
- Changing the music on your phone
- Looking down at your navigation app or GPS
- Checking or posting on social media
- Searching the internet or an app on your phone
This list is not all-inclusive. Any type of multitasking attempted behind the wheel, even for just a few seconds, is considered distracted driving.
Have You Been Injured by a Distracted Driver?
Since we first opened our practice more than 30 years ago, we have seen the damage that distracted driving can do to an accident victim’s physical and mental well-being. If you have been injured by a distracted driver in Mississippi, do not hesitate to reach out to our qualified legal staff at Richard Schwartz & Associates Injury Lawyer, P.A. The sad truth is, many an accident could have been prevented had the at-fault driver been more attentive. By holding them accountable in a court of law, you are not only fighting for your recovery but to prevent that negligent driver from injuring others in the future.
