In a Split Second: The Risks of Taking Your Eyes Off the Road
It only takes a split second to cause an accident or take your attention away from other drivers who can create one. Taking your eyes off the road, even for a second, comes with risks. One in 10 crashes involve at least one distracted driver. Distracted driving is a problem, and it’s not due to smartphones alone. Take note of a number of distractions along with associated accident stats.
Smoking Cigarettes
Smoking is hazardous to your health without being behind the wheel. However, lighting up a smoke or taking your eyes off the road to ash in a tray can create accidents. A review of an officer’s accident notes revealed that 1% of accidents involved smoking.
Roaming Pets
It’s cute to take your furry friend on car rides with you, but a roaming cat or dog can inspire lapses of attention and subsequent accidents. Pets are categorized under ‘moving objects,’ which account for about 1% of accidents on record. Police suspect that pets and other moving objects are responsible for more accidents but drivers are reluctant to report it.
Digital Equipment
Drivers know using a smartphone while driving can get them a ticket, but manipulating other equipment, while technically not against the law, can cause an accident. For example, fiddling with a GPS device while in motion takes a driver’s attention off the road long enough to veer off the road or into other lanes of traffic.
Adjusting Controls
2% of distracted drivers get into an accident due to adjusting the controls of their radio, air, or heat vent. You may need to control the temperature in your vehicle but be mindful of when you do it. For example, wait for a red light or pull over to the side of the road before adjusting the controls. Remember, it only takes a split second to get into an accident; don’t be among the 2%!
Eating and Drinking
At times, time does not afford to sit down and enjoy breakfast before work or dinner before picking up the kids. It’s convenient to eat on-the-go yet it can be distracting. Dipping your fries in ketchup or taking your eyes off the road to grab a burger out of a to-go bag is long enough to cause an accident or not react fast enough to get out of the way of another driver. Yes, distractions don’t just cause accidents directly; they can steal the vital seconds needed to avoid them too. If you are injured in an accident due to another’s wrongdoing, contact Dallas personal injury lawyers, Tate Law Offices.
Multiple Passengers
The likelihood of getting distracted increases when passengers come along for the ride. According to data, other passengers account for 5% of distracted driving accidents. Be mindful of paying attention as the number of occupants increases. This is especially important for younger drivers who often drive along with friends. Inexperience alone is enough to increase the likelihood of an accident and the number of accidents grows as more friends pile in the car.
Andrew Willis knows firsthand what distracted driving can do to a family. He wants to raise awareness of the problem and writes for various blogs and websites on the topic encouraging everyone to focus when they're driving.
Source: https://www.danielrrosen.com/
