With the rise in popularity of smartphones, cases of distracted driving are rising as well. But distracted driving is more than just using your phone while you’re behind the wheel.

There are mainly three different types of distractions:

● Visual: taking your eyes off the road
● Manual: taking your hands off the wheel
● Cognitive: taking your mind off driving

This means distracted driving can mean the following:

● Eating or drinking while driving
● Talking to other passengers while driving
● Tweaking the stereo or other entertainment devices while driving
● Reading while driving
● Grooming yourself while driving

Anything you do that diverts your attention from the road is considered “distracted driving.” Although it has been proven how dangerous and damaging distracted driving is, sadly, distracted driving cases are still increasing.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 3,142 people were killed on the road due to distracted driving.

Every state has different laws involving distracted driving. A good majority of them, including California, bans drivers from using their cell phones while driving.

California Vehicle Code also states, “A person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless the phone is specifically designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking.”

highway

Unfortunately, despite these existing laws against distracted drivers, cases of car accidents in California remain high. Particularly in Los Angeles, where around 244 people were killed in traffic collisions in 2019.

Los Angeles car accident lawyers encourage drivers to avoid using their cellphones while driving as much as possible. Mainly due to these alarming statistics:

● Sixty-four percent of car accidents involve motorists who were texting and driving.
● Seventy-eight percent of all distracted drivers were found to have been distracted because they were texting and driving.
● Texting and driving are six times more likely to cause an accident than drunk driving.
● Texting and driving increase the risk of an accident by up to 23 times.

Distracted driving can lead to very serious consequences. It not only harms the person doing it but other innocent motorists on the road as well.

A few seconds may seem like a small amount of time, but it’s all it takes for a disaster to occur. Keeping your eyes away from the road is a very risky and irresponsible thing to do as a driver. Distracted driving can cause serious injuries and, for those unfortunate enough, even death.

The majority of distracted drivers are teenagers and young adults.

In the U.S. in 2018:

● Twenty-five percent of the distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes were young adults aged 20–29.
● Drivers aged 15-19 were more likely to be distracted than drivers aged 20 and older, among drivers in crashes where someone died. Among these drivers, eight percent of drivers aged 15 to 19 were distracted at the time of the crash.
● Nine percent of all teens who died in motor vehicle crashes were killed in crashes that involved distracted driving.

 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drivers under 20 have the highest proportion of fatal crashes due to distracted driving. It is most likely because younger drivers cannot fully comprehend the consequences of distracted driving as they are still new to the road.

The best way to reduce distracted driving cases is by thoroughly educating young drivers about the consequences that come with it. Being a driver is a huge responsibility, as you are not only responsible for your safety and the safety of your passengers, but you are also responsible for the safety of the other people on the road as well.

Here are some things you can do to minimize distracted driving cases:

● Do not multi-task while driving. Keep your eyes on the road at all times. Although this is a very obvious thing to do, unfortunately, younger drivers do not understand that yet.
● If you aren’t anticipating any important calls, it’s best to turn off your mobile device or put it on airplane mode to avoid distractions.
● If you have passengers in your vehicle, ask them to stay quiet or lower the tone of their voice if they want to talk. It can be quite distracting to hear other people talk while driving.
● If necessary, assign a texter. Your texter will be responsible for answering calls and texts while you are driving.
● Avoid listening to loud and distracting songs. It may affect your driving.
● Avoid overloading your vehicle. Having too many passengers can also be more distracting.
● If you are feeling unwell, do not force yourself to drive. If you have another driver with you, ask them to drive for you.

Parents are also encouraged to teach their teens about proper road etiquette to avoid more accidents from occurring. If you are a parent with a teenage driver, take time to talk to them and explain the responsibilities that come with driving.