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Distracted driving causes accidents

On Behalf of | Aug 5, 2021 | Personal Injury |

In a world filled with all kinds of new and evolving technology, it can be difficult to focus on just one thing at a time. Distractions are especially problematic when they show up behind the wheel. Drivers all across Kentucky engage in dangerous distracted driving habits every single day, and it is seriously injuring and even killing people.

What are the biggest distractions?

Researchers with the Preliminary National Safety Council — NSC — looked at data from between 2019 and 2020 to determine which distractions were the biggest contributors to distracted driving accidents. The study concluded that drivers talking on handheld phones are 90% more likely to cause a collision than drivers who are not distracted. Texting or physically manipulating a phone is associated with a 60% increase in crash risk. Other highly distracted behaviors include:

  • Grooming
  • Wearing headphones
  • Eating and drinking
  • Talking on a hands-free device

Some drivers might acknowledge that they are engaging in distracted driving behaviors but consider them less serious and safer than texting. However, researchers also found that distracted drivers who are the least distracted still regularly put themselves and others at risk. For example, these drivers are particularly prone to:

  • Rolling through stop signs
  • Running traffic lights
  • Drifting out of lanes

It can be frustrating for drivers who do their best to follow the rules of the road to see other drivers looking at their phones instead of the road. It can be even more frustrating to suffer serious or life-threatening injuries because another driver was too involved with what was on a screen. Although nothing can undo this harm, victims of distracted driving accidents in Kentucky often find that the compensation from successfully navigated personal injury claims is essential to recovery.