DRIVING THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED

We’ve all become used to hearing on radio and TV about the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Less well known is the fact that the CDC is concerned with transportation safety. “Nine people in the United States are killed every day in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver,” the CDC website notes. “At 55 miles per hour, sending or reading a text is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.”

Not only should you never drive while distracted, one of the best ways to keep safe on the road today is to be consciously aware of distracted drivers.

Signs of distracted driving include:

• swerving across lanes
• driving on the shoulder
• not keeping a constant speed
• sudden braking
• running a red light or stop sign
• lingering at an intersection after the light has turned green
• driver is holding a phone
• driver is wearing headphones

If you spot a driver doing these things, keep yourself safe by maintaining distance from that vehicle.

Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a motorist engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving, the Indiana Department of Labor explains, offering three possible explanations for the growth in distracted driving-caused accidents: 1)stressful jobs 2).busy lifestyles
3) technology.

There are three main types of distracted driving:

• Cognitive distraction takes your mind off the road. This could include programming on the radio, listening to a phone message, or engaging in a conversation with a passenger.
  

• Visual distraction takes your eyes off the road. This might include searching for an article that has dropped from the dashboard or the seat.
  

• Manual distraction takes your hands off the wheel. The driver might be reaching for food,  drink, or even a tissue.

Texting while driving:

• While all distracted driving is dangerous, texting is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction at the same time, the IN.gov website emphasizes.

• There are now more crashes related to texting and driving than drinking and driving.

• People who text while driving are 23 times more likely to crash.

Distracted driving causes personal injury

As personal injury attorneys dealing in auto accident cases for more than forty years, at Ramey & Hailey we know that one driver’s failure to maintain proper and safe lane management, keeping a safe lookout on the road, too often results in injuries to other drivers and to passengers, including not only property damage, but loss of income, acute pain and suffering, and death.

If you were injured by a distracted driver, ask yourself: Are you comfortable with the settlement process, with deciphering your own medical records, and with the law? If the answer is “No”, or even “I’m not sure”, it’s time to consult a personal injury attorney in Indiana.