Distracted drivers constitute one of the major traffic hazards in the United States. In terms of causing accidents, distracted driving is actually a bigger problem than driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It also ranks highly as a factor in traffic crashes that result in fatalities.

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The Distracted Driving Toll- fatal car accident in RI

According to official statistics, distracted driving was a factor in some 3,000 vehicular fatalities in the United States in 2014 alone. This toll represented approximately one-third of the deaths occurring on the nation’s roads and highways that one year. Some 430,000 others suffered varying degrees of injury in distracted driving crashes. A Rhode Island wrongful death attorney or an East Providence pedestrian fatality lawyer who is also a texting while driving accident injury lawyer will help you get the justice and compensation that you deserve.

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One study showed that between 25 and 50 percent of the vehicular accidents in this country involved some type of distracted driving  and/ or texting while driving. Although it can involve any age group, the problem is particularly serious among the youngest drivers, aged 15-19. The same government statistics show that about one in 10 teens involved in fatal crashes were in some manner distracted from their driving at the time of the accident.

RI texting while driving  fatal accident injury lawyer

Distracted driving comes in many forms and can lead to different types of accidents, from running a stop light to running over a pedestrian. A driver’s attention can be diverted by the simple act of eating or drinking, brushing or combing his or her hair,  texting and driving, putting on makeup or shaving, or by tuning in the radio. Some examples of distraction in Rhode Island may come out of  quasi- necessity, from reading a map or operating a vehicle’s navigational system to looking for a street or a particular address. One of the most prevalent forms of distraction involves texting, web surfing while driving or the use in some manner of a personal electronic device. Texting is particularly bad because it involves the simultaneous use of the eyes and hands and, most importantly, distracts the driver’s attention from more important things.

What to do About Distracted Driving and texting while driving 

Many American states have enacted laws that ban texting while driving. Federal employees driving official vehicles or traveling on behalf of the government have been banned from the practice, as have commercial drivers working for commercial enterprises. The key to prevention is education, especially for those who are in their early driving years. A graduated method of licensing may help young drivers learn from the start to keep their minds on the road.

“New connectivity has enabled new safety technologies. But it has also enabled new forms of distraction, leading to accidents and deaths, even in the most strictly regulated transportation enterprises. Since 2003, the NTSB has found PED distraction as a cause or contributing factor in 11 accident investigations. Those crashes resulted in 259 people injured and 50 people killed. And the NTSB does not investigate the majority of highway crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports hundreds of such deaths on our highways in 2012 alone. According to NHTSA, drivers engaging in visual-manual tasks, such as dialing or texting, triple their risk of a crash.” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 

“Distraction can take many forms. In 2013, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that more than two out of three drivers indicated that they talked on a cell phone while driving within the past 30 days. More than one of three drivers admitted to reading a text message or e-mail while driving, and more than one of four drivers admitted to typing or sending a text or e-mail.” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Id. 

If you were injured in a car, truck or motorcycle accident in Rhode Island, call a texting while driving attorney or a Providence distracted driving injury lawyer. A Rhode Island personal injury attorney or a RI car accident lawyer will go to the mat against the insurance company to get you the compensation that you deserve.

Information for this account was obtained from the government sites www.cdc.gov and www.distraction.gov.

1. “Distracted driving accounts for approximately 25% of all motor vehicle crash fatalities.
2. At the time of fatal crashes, teens have been the largest age group that reported being distracted while driving.
3. Driver distraction is reported to be responsible for more than 58% of teen crashes.
4. In 2015, 391,000 injuries were caused in distracted driving related accidents.
5. In that same year, distracted driving was cited as a major factor in 3,477 traffic deaths.
6. 9 people in the U.S. are killed each day as a result of crashes involving a distracted driver, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
7. Distracted driving has been called an American epidemic and is completely preventable.
8. Since there is no way to test for distracted driving after an accident occurs, it’s widely believed that the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities caused by distracted driving are vastly under reported.
9. It takes only 3 seconds after a driver’s attention has been diverted from the road for a crash to occur.
10. Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U.S.” Teen safe