Impaired Driving: Why you Should be Concerned
Jul 3rd, 2009 by ANorman
Most people know about the dangers that drinking and driving pose to motorists but very few understand that impaired driving encompasses more than irresponsible drunks getting behind the wheel of a car.
For example, individuals who use cell phones while driving are four times as likely to get into a serious car accident, with 80% of the crashes involving additional vehicles. This is alarming when once considers the fact that 73% of drivers indicate that they use their cell phones while driving.
As cell phone use while driving comes to the fore as an extremely dangerous exercise, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been trying to create awareness campaigns about similar auto accident risk factors.
Some of the most prevalent negligent driving behaviors include, but are not limited to:
- Drowsy Driving—getting into a car when sleepy, for whatever reason, could lead to a debilitating accident that changes the lives of all involved forever. Frightening statistics are clear. Over 50 percent of motorist admit to driving while fatigued and 17 percent have nodded off while driving. This fact is significant since 100,000 traffic collisions are a result of drowsy driving. The stakes are raised even more significantly when one considers the fact that these automobile accidents result in 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries.
- Rubbernecking—although considered fairly innocuous, rubbernecking contributes to numerous accidents due to driver distraction. Indeed, driver distractions account for nearly 98 % of motor vehicle accidents. While some may argue the true definition of rubbernecking and what it entails, the fact remains that off road wreckage and flashy billboards can take ones attention off the highway, leading to the type of wrecks that can injure and even kill other drivers.
- Multitasking – believe it or not there are people who attempt to drive while reading, using their laptop computers or even putting on makeup. While most find this to be a bit comical, these actions do result in hundreds of accidents. This can be sobering when one realizes that automobile accidents are the leading cause of injury related deaths of individuals between the ages of 1 and 65 years of age.
Indeed operating a motor vehicle while multitasking, rubbernecking, using a cell phone use and when fatigued are as dangerous as drunk driving. If nothing else, they can cause serious accidents where people get hurt.
An Ounce of Prevention
In order to keep you and your family safe, you may wish to break away from any bad driving habits you’ve developed. This means putting away the cell phone (or at least pulling into a parking lot if a call is important), making sure you are well rested before driving and trying not to congest traffic with rubbernecking.
Still, even when you are playing by all the rules, others may not be and an accident can occur.
If you have been injured in an accident by an impaired or distracted driver, you could be entitled to financial compensation. Contact us for a free case evaluation today and see what you can do to obtain reparations for your life altering injuries.
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