What Does It Mean to Be a Distracted Driver?
Distracted driving is a major problem in the United States and around the world. As we are more and more addicted to constantly using our technology and gadgets it becomes much harder to put them down any time of the day or night including when we are driving. However, it isn’t just looking at our phones while behind the wheel that causes distraction. So many things can. If you have a crowded car of rowdy children, a youngster crying for a treat requiring you to turn around and away from the road to soothe them, eating or drinking, putting on makeup or fixing one’s hair, even fiddling with your radio are all going to split your concentration from driving to the activity you are engaging in.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are three ways that a driver can be distracted including:
- Visually is when you aren’t looking at the road
- Manually is when you don’t have your hands on the wheel
- Cognitively is when your mind is preoccupied with other thoughts and not focused on driving
How Is Distracted Driving in Arizona Dangerous?
The Arizona Department of Transportation’s (AZDOT) 2018 crash data reveals:
- 2.77 people were killed in Arizona crashes every day that year
- Every 8 hours and 39 minutes one life was lost in a crash
- 146 people were injured every day in crashes
- Every 9 minutes and 51 seconds one person sustained injuries in an Arizona crash
- 14.74% of crashes were single-vehicle crashes but made up 32.53% of all fatal crashes
- 13.72% of pedestrian crashes were fatal
- 72.9% of all crashes occurred during the day from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Arizona suffered $19.349 billion in economic losses as a result of motor vehicle crashes in 2018
While the report didn’t indicate which crashes were due to distracted driving, since driver misjudgment and error causes 95% of all crashes, it is fair to say that distracted driving played a part in a large portion of these crashes. The CDC says that nine people are killed in crashes each day in the country from distracted drivers. Ther are over 1,000 people injured across the country on a daily basis from distracted driving.
Have You Been Hit By a Distracted Driver and Need an Arizona Car Accident Lawyer?
There are accidents that take place where it is clear that the driver who caused the crash was distracted while driving. In other situations, proving that a driver was distracted is more difficult. When you have been hit and injured or if a loved one was injured in an Arizona motor vehicle accident that was not your fault contact the Arizona automobile accident injury attorneys at ELG immediately.
The Arizona serious injury attorneys at ELG only work on personal injury cases. We provide the most support to victims of Arizona crashes because we know how important obtaining a fair settlement is for those suffering from major injuries and dealing with property damage. We will never bill you for our services unless we win your case, so you will pay nothing out of your pocked to contact us and set up a free consultation to discuss your accident experience. Do not delay in calling the Spanish-speaking, bilingual Phoenix car accident injury attorneys at ELG. We can be reached at (623) 877-3600 to schedule your free consultation.
