Distracted driving is a concern in the United States; it causes accidents daily, many of which injure or kill individuals who are involved.
Crashes that are reported to have involved distracted drivers result in an average of nine people being killed and over 1,153 people being injured each day. The problem may not seem like it affects that many lives when looked at in this way, but it doesn’t take into account the lives that each accident could affect besides the victim. Families may be mourning the loss of a loved one, children may be learning to live with a disabled parent, or a spouse may take weeks off work to be next to a loved one who is hospitalized.
Many distracted driving accidents could be avoided if drivers stopped using their cellphones, texting, eating, or doing anything other than paying attention to the road. Texting is the most dangerous, typically, because it takes eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and attention away from the act of driving.
The problem of distracted driving is growing with the use of smartphones and technology; in 2012, 3,328 people were killed by distracted driving accidents, which was a drop compared to 2011. However, the number of injuries grew 9 percent between the two years, showing that while fewer people were killed, more people than ever were impacted by the dangers of distracted driving.
Our website has information on what to do if you’ve been hit by a driver who wasn’t paying attention to the road. You may be able to seek compensation to cover your medical bills, lost wages and more.