Distracted driving in Georgia has reached epidemic proportions. Nationally, nine people are killed every day in the United States, and more than 1,000 injured in crashes that involve distracted driving.
Distracted driving has been associated with smartphones in recent years. However, it’s defined as any driving while doing another activity that takes the driver’s attention away from the road. Distracted driving can increase the chance of a motor vehicle crash.
The main causes of distracted driving in Georgia
Here are seven major causes of distracted driving in Georgia.
1 Adjusting the audio or climate controls on a car.
Fiddling with the radio or adjusting the air conditioning is a factor in about 2 percent of distracted driving accidents.
2 Using or reaching out for a device brought into a car.
We associate checking cellphones with distracted driving. However, even reaching for a device can take a driver’s attention off the road and cause a crash.
3 Eating and drinking
Eating or drinking at the wheel can be highly distracting. Eating may involve unwrapping food and drinks can spill. Getting a lid back on a hot drink or opening a bag of chips can take your eyes off the road at a crucial time.
4 Talking and interacting with passengers
Passengers can help drivers perform tasks like navigating. They can also be a nuisance and distracting. Teen drivers are particularly susceptible to distractions from fellow passengers.
If you are driving, you should concentrate on the road ahead and not get into long discussions or arguments with passengers. Child passengers can be a major distraction. Ideally, another passenger in the car can deal with the needs and demands of children.
5 Pets
Animals can be a massive distraction if they are not correctly secured in a vehicle. Make sure your vehicle is fitted with barriers to keep a dog in the back while you are driving. Alternatively, use a pet carrier or a cage.
6 Smart Phones and Electronic Devices
The smartphone revolution over the last decade is linked to a massive spike in distracted driving-related crashes. Most states have passed laws to tackle smartphone use such as banning texting at the wheel. However, legislation has proved infective in preventing a rise in distracted driving crashes.
Georgia has passed a new distracted driving law that generally prohibits drivers from holding a cellphone while driving, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
7 Daydreaming
Although harder to quantify than other forms of distracted driving, a recent survey by Erie Insurance suggested being lost in thought or daydreaming is the most significant cause of distracted driving. Drivers whose minds wander are linked to more than 60 percent of distracted driving crashes.
Whatever the cause of distracted driving, anything that diverts a driver’s attention from the road ahead is a threat to the driver, passengers, and other road users.
If you have been injured by a distracted driver, please call our Newnan personal injury lawyer at (414) 913-1529.