Distracted and Drowsy Driving
Posted Friday, February 28, 2020 by Chris Thayer
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety over half of all teenagers text and drive, and adults are not blameless, either. Distracted driving not only includes texting and driving; any type of distraction while driving could lead to a serious car accident. If you were injured due to another person becoming distracted behind the wheel, visiting with a personal injury can help you pursue your legal right to compensation.
*Types of Distractions*Many people become unfocused behind the wheel of the car for a moment or two while driving. However, if you are behaving in such a way that the distraction moves significant attention away from the roadway, your negligence could result in a severe car accident. Distracted driving always increases the likelihood of an accident due to inherently taking the focus away from the road and other drivers. Some of the types of distractions that can take away a driver’s attention can include:
- Not focusing or being lost in thought
- Texting and driving
- Talking on a cell phone and driving
- Talking with passengers
- Eating and drinking while driving
- Changing the channel or volume on the radio
- Changing the temperature or fans inside the car
- Smoking while driving
Any activity that is not required by the driver to operate a vehicle can be considered a distraction and can potentially lead to a catastrophic accident. Oftentimes, witness testimony can be valuable in these types of cases, as it can confirm that the other driver was looking down at a cell phone or otherwise distracted in some way.
*Drowsy Driving *One of the more common ways a driver can become distracted is simply by driving while fatigued. While one in 25 drivers actually admits to having fallen asleep at the wheel, drowsy driving involves the inability to focus or pay attention to the roadways, and it is a leading cause of accidents. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control research indicates over 6,000 car accidents occur yearly due to driver drowsiness and fatigue. Additionally, for those persons who have not had any sleep for 20 hours, driving while drowsy results in the same slowed reaction time as having a blood-alcohol concentration over the legal limit. The same study concludes that if you are drowsy or fatigued while driving, you are three times as likely to be involved in an accident.
*Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney*Driving while distracted is dangerous, and driving while drowsy or fatigued can be just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. If you were injured due to a driver being either distracted or fatigued, you may have the right to receive compensation for your medical bills, loss of work, or your pain and suffering. Contact our experienced personal injury and car accident attorneys at the Pivotal Law Group at 206-340-2008. We proudly serve the Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Renton, Burien, Mercer Island and Issaquah areas.