April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and a really good time to consider how your driving habits may imperil you, your passengers, and everyone else on the road. The National Safety Council reports an average of 700 motor vehicle accidents every day are caused by distracted drivers. Many of these result in serious or fatal injuries. These facts are made all the more tragic when you consider this: all distracted driving accidents are preventable.
Types of Distraction
There are three primary types of distraction:
- Manual distraction involves anything that takes your hands off of the wheel. This can include eating and drinking, changing the radio, programming GPS, and personal grooming
- Visual distraction involves anything that takes your eyes off of the road. This can include looking at a phone, reading a map, rubbernecking, or turning to look at a passenger
- Cognitive distraction involves anything that takes your mind off of the task of driving. This can include daydreaming, reading, and talking on the phone
Cellphones involve all three types of distraction. So too does eating and drinking, personal grooming, and so much more. Even onboard electronics that have been designed to prevent distraction are, in reality, a distraction. In fact, a study conducted by AAA found that so-called “hands-free” technology poses a larger cognitive distraction than handheld alternatives.
The bottom line? There is no safe level of distraction.
Have You Been Injured?
When you are injured by a distracted driver, it can be difficult to establish the accident’s cause. Herbert Thornbury has decades of experience reconstructing accidents to determine all underlying causes. When you choose our firm for representation, we will thoroughly investigate your accident to help establish fault – and we will take your claim as far as needed to help you get the justice you deserve.
Please call Herbert Thornbury Attorney at Law, at 423-991-2231 to schedule a free consultation right away. Located in Chattanooga, Attorney Thornbury welcomes victims of serious injury from all surrounding areas of Tennessee and Georgia.
