According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving has become a national epidemic that continues to injure and kill thousands of Americans each year. In response to this serious problem, safety officials and advocates across the country have been working to educate the public as part of April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Law enforcement agencies nationwide are also continuing high visibility enforcement of distracted driving laws for the remainder of the month.
At Knowles Law Firm, PLC, our personal injury lawyers have worked with many victims and families whose lives were changed by preventable auto accidents - including accidents caused by distracted drivers. We’ve seen first-hand how driver distraction substantially increases the risks of tragic accidents, and we encourage everyone to remember that one moment of distraction can change lives forever.
Here are a few facts from the NHTSA about distracted driving:
- In 2013, over 3,100 people were killed in U.S. traffic crashes involving distracted drivers. During the same year, over 424,000 people were injured in distracted driving accidents.
- Drivers in their teens and early 20s make up the largest age group of distracted drivers in fatal accidents.
- Text messaging is considered among the most dangerous forms of driver distraction because it commands a driver’s manual, visual, and cognitive attention at once - and increases the risk of a crash by three times, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
These alarming statistics make it clear that distractions can significantly increase the risk of a crash. In fact, a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released earlier this month found that driver distraction plays a role in roughly 60% of crashes involving teen drivers - a figure four times estimated rates from police reports.
Although distracted driving is a common practice on public roadways, it is still incredibly dangerous and negligent. As such, victims and families who suffer harm at the hands of a distracted driver have the right to pursue justice and compensation by filing a personal injury claim.
If you have questions about your rights following an auto accident or distracted driving crash, contact Knowles Law Firm, PLC for a FREE case evaluation! Our accident attorneys serve clients throughout Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and surrounding communities of Arizona.