Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
Distracted Driving Awareness
Driving can be dangerous. Accidents occur with some frequency. In 2022, more than 110,000 people were injured in vehicle accidents in North Carolina. While vehicle manufacturers are making cars with more safety features, the number of accidents continues to increase. One of the reasons for the high number of car accidents may be attributed to distracted driving. Driving while distracted is preventable.
What is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving occurs when someone behind the wheel does something that causes a disruption to their focus on driving. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents, according to the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Distracted driving may happen when a driver takes their hands off the wheel, their eyes off the road, or their mind off of driving.
Managing member Matt Arnold raises awareness of distracted driving.
Distracted Driving Awareness
The National Safety Council, NSC, designated April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The goal of the campaign is to provide education and information to the public to make them aware of distracted driving and how to prevent it from happening. Those who are more aware of the problem can learn to take simple steps to improve focus and awareness. Parents can also teach teen drivers the importance of not driving while distracted.
Preventing Distracted Driving
Laws are in place to try to prevent distracted driving. For example, in North Carolina, it is illegal to text while driving. Even with deterrents in place, there are still a number of accidents caused by distractions. The NSC wants drivers to know that their only function while behind the wheel is to pay attention to driving. People need to stop doing anything that could distract them from the task at hand. Eating, drinking, reading, changing the radio station, and talking are common forms of distractions. The most common type of distraction is the use of a cell phone while driving.
Distracted Driving Causes Accidents
On average, about nine people a day are killed as a result of distracted driving in the United States. Many more are injured in accidents. Reading a text message can take an average of about five seconds. During that time, if you are driving at 55 MPH you will travel the equivalent of a football field. It only takes a few seconds of your eyes off the road to result in a crash. While not all accidents are serious, many are severe and cause injuries or fatalities to drivers and passengers. A distracted driver who causes a crash may be considered to be negligent. The negligent driver is responsible for damages and injuries that result from the accident.
If you or someone you love was hurt in an accident caused by a distracted driver, you may be owed money for your damages. The negligent driver may owe you money for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 for a free initial consultation to discuss your injuries.
The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.
Source:
https://www.ncdoi.gov/distracted-driving-awareness
Image Credit:
https://www.freeimages.com/photo/text-messaging-1478548
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