Federal, state, and local governments, along with countless safety advocate organizations have banged the drum loudly to try to get the message out to drivers of how dangerous distracted driving is and how much it increases the risk of vehicle accidents. Millions of dollars have been spent on national campaigns by federal and state agencies, as well as private companies and organizations, stressing the importance of not texting, checking social media, and all other activities that we regularly do on our smartphones.
There are also many other activities that drivers engage in that can result in a driver getting distracted from what is going on in the road in front of them – sometimes with tragic results. The following are some of the more common factors that contribute to many of the car accident cases our North Carolina personal injury attorneys handle at our firm.
Children
Most parents can attest to how children can demand their attention, many times to the point of “distraction.” Many parents have experienced a young child in the back seat who has dropped their pacifier or toy and then begins to scream. Mom or Dad frantically reaches behind to feel around for the object so their child will be happy again – all while continuing to drive.
Older children in the back seat may be able to retrieve items they have dropped, however, they have also been known to get into sibling arguments that the parent has to break up. Again, all while continuing to drive.
Studies have shown that having children in the vehicle is actually 12 times more distracting to parents than texting. In fact, it has been shown in several studies that parents who have children in the vehicle with them spend more than three minutes with their eyes off the road for every 16 minutes they are driving.
Other Distracting Dangers
There are other activities that drivers engage in that can contribute to causing a car crash. Eating and drinking while driving because you are running out of time may actually end up stopping you from arriving at all. Fiddling with the radio or your GPS are also activities that can take your attention from driving, as is trying to connect your Bluetooth while driving. While these activities may only take seconds, those few seconds are all it takes to crash into another vehicle.
Let an NC Injury Attorney Help
If you have been injured in a crash caused by a driver who was texting and driving or some other distracted driving behavior, contact a North Carolina car accident attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have. The legal team from Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp has been advocating for injured clients since 1985 and will do all we can to ensure you receive the best possible outcome under the circumstances of your case. Call our office today to schedule a free and confidential consultation and find out how we can help you get the financial compensation you deserve.
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