Multi-tasking may be seen by many in New Jersey as a positive skill in the workplace or at home, but there is one time when multi-tasking should never be attempted — while driving. Doing so can distract a driver, leading to car crashes that injure or kill other people.
How big is the distracted driving problem in the U.S.?
Distracted driving is a major problem on U.S. roads. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2018 alone, more than 2,800 individuals died and approximately 400,000 were injured in collisions involving a distracted driver. Of these, about one in five fatalities involved someone who was a pedestrian or bicyclist. It is estimated that annually approximately 3,000 people in the U.S. lose their lives in distracted driving accidents.
Why is texting and driving so dangerous?
Perhaps one of the most dangerous ways a driver can be distracted is if they try to text and drive. Texting encompasses all three types of distraction. A person who is reading a text message or replying to one has their eyes on their phone, not the road — a visual distraction. A person who is replying to a text message has their hands on the phone, not the wheel — a manual distraction. Finally, a person who is reading a text message or replying to one is thinking about the message not the act of driving — a cognitive distraction.
Avoid distracted driving
We all should make a point to avoid distracted driving. Unfortunately, there will always be those who insist they can do two things at once and will drive while texting, eating, grooming, tuning the radio or chatting to passengers. Any of these distractions can easily lead to a distracted driving crash that injures or kills another person. Our firm’s webpage on distracted driving accidents may be of use to those involved in a crash caused by a distracted driver.