April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in the United States. This month is an important time to spread awareness about just how dangerous distracted driving is. Distracted driving kills thousands of people each year and seriously injures many more people. By taking steps to curb distractions behind the wheel, we can all do our part to reduce these life-altering motor vehicle crashes.
Distraction comes in many forms, including:
- Text messaging (reading, sending, or typing)
- Using the phone’s internet browser
- Interacting with apps on your phone (reading, browsing, navigating)
- Adjusting or using a map or navigation
- Personal grooming (brushing your hair, applying cosmetics, trimming beard hair, etc.)
- Reading
- Eating and drinking
- Interacting with any type of electronic screen
Distraction can be easily caused by interactions with your passengers. Unfortunately, cars are sometimes the scenes of an argument, which can be highly distracting. Kids in the backseat can unknowingly cause distractions when they argue or fight, causing the parent behind the wheel to try to break it up. Even a normal, unheated conversation can be distracting enough to pull your concentration away from driving.
Here are a few ideas for how you can mark Distracted Driving Awareness Month:
- Pledge to eliminate distractions
- Encourage friends and family to eliminate distractions behind the wheel
- If you have children, teach them the importance of driving distraction free, and be sure to model that behavior when you’re behind the wheel
Ultimately, anything that takes your mind, hands, and eyes away from driving, even for a moment, can lead to a collision or crash. Not only can this injure the distracted motorist and their passengers; it can also injure or kill other people with whom they share the road – motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and others.
What To Do After a Distracted Driving Crash
If you or a loved one were involved in a crash caused by a distracted driver, then an experienced attorney may be able to help you pursue compensation and justice. Please search our directory to find an experienced accident lawyer in your area. An attorney can immediately begin investigating your case to determine who is liable and what you are owed.
