Distracted driving presents a serious danger on the roadways. Every day in the United States greater than 1,100 victims are injured and 9 are killed in car accidents involving a distracted driver. Distracted driving increases the chance of a car accident. Distracted driving is considered engaging in activities that remove the driver’s attention and focus from the roadway.
The three main types of distracted driving are visual, or activities that remove the driver’s eyes from the roadway; manual, or activities that remove the driver’s hands from the wheel; and cognitive which removes the driver’s mind and focus from the roadway. The umbrella of distracted driving includes a number of different activities many drivers engage in such as cell phone use, texting, use of technology in the vehicle, grooming, interacting with passengers and eating. Texting while driving is considered particularly dangerous because it includes all 3 types of distracted driving.
During 2012, 421,000 victims were injured in car accidents involving distracted driving which was a 9 percent increase from the 387,000 victims injured in car accidents involving distracted driving in 2011. In both 2012 and 2011 greater than 3,000 victims were killed in car accidents involving distracted driving.
Because of the serious dangers associated with distracted driving and car accidents involving distracted driving, there are a number of laws against distracted driving. In Louisiana, texting while driving is prohibited. Victims wrongfully harmed by another party’s negligence in a car accident involving distracted driving may be left facing a number of different types of damages. The legal process seeks to protect victims of distracted driving by providing them with remedies to help compensate them for the harm they have suffered.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Distracted Driving,” Accessed Dec. 1, 2015