Personal Injury Blog

Here at Lowman Law Firm, we represent many victims of personal injury from car accidents. The causes of these car accidents are varied, but we see many of the same distractions repeatedly when gathering information on our cases. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the importance of safety when driving and maintaining focus. So many simple distractions cause driver injuries, even fatalities - so we wanted to warn you with this list of Top 7 Driving Distractions in Car Accidents.

7 driving distractions that cause car accidents

Driving Distractions that cause Car Accidents

Cell Phones
Talking on cell phones while driving is one of the biggest causes of car crashes that we see on the roads today. Even with hands-free devices and Bluetooth headsets, if a driver is carrying on a conversation over the phone, he or she is redirecting a certain percentage of their attention away from the road - talking on the phone can cause delayed reaction times, even if you are keeping your eyes on the road.


Text Messaging

This is about the STUPIDEST thing a driver can do while behind the wheel of a vehicle. It not only involves eye contact, but you have to focus on tiny buttons, looking away from the road for multiple seconds at a time as you spell out your words. It doesn't take a genius to realize why so many accidents are the result of texting.


Passengers

Everyone loves having company on those long trips, or someone to talk to during a commute - but at the same time, not all passengers are as responsible or considerate of driver attention as they need to be. We frequently hear of accidents that are caused because a passenger diverted the driver's focus away from the road.


Music/iPods

Almost every car on the road has music playing at one time or another... and with all the buttons and stations to choose from, it's very easy to get distracted from the road and into an accident. Most cars these days try to put stereo controls on the steering wheel, but even so, selecting music demands a certain amount of attention and can lead to accidents. Especially when someone is searching for CDs to play, or even worse - searching through iPods or other mp3 devices for songs.

 

Being Lost/Looking for Street Signs

Being lost is also a huge factor when it comes to auto accidents. You're looking down at directions, searching to the left and right for street signs and landmarks... your eyes get focused on nearly everything except for the road. It's important to pull over to look at directions, and to drive with caution while you're trying to figure out how to get where you're going.


GPS/Navigation system

This goes along with being lost, but nowadays, with technology, GPS systems can help you find just about anything you're looking for. All too often we hear of accidents that are caused from someone programming a GPS or Navigation system. 


Eating

And finally, EATING while driving, although time-saving, can also be incredibly dangerous and distracting. Especially if the driver is hungry, that tasty food that they have picked up can divert far too much attention from the road, and causes far more accidents than you might think. Be safe and spend the few minutes it takes to eat that sandwich before starting your engine.

Car Accident Guide

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