What Are Some Forms of Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is any activity that takes your attention away from the road and your primary responsibility of driving safely. Driving while distracted is dangerous and has proven to be a leading cause of car accidents, injuries and fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 9 people are killed, and over 1,000 are injured daily in the United States due to distracted driving.

A distracted driving accident can cause all sorts of problems in your life, from physical injury and property damage to emotional stress and financial hardship. If you're involved in an accident caused by another person's distracted driving, you should hire a Boynton Beach Accident Attorney.

Here are some common forms of distracted driving:

•    Texting, emailing or sending social media messages on your mobile phone

Although laws against texting while driving have been in place for years, they have yet to curb this dangerous habit. It's estimated that 10% of all car accidents are caused by a driver distracted by their cell phone. Texting, emailing and sending social media messages on your mobile phone are three common forms of distracted driving. But these actions can be stopped at any time by drivers who choose to focus on their surroundings and arrive safely at their destination. A Boynton Beach Accident Attorney can ensure insurance companies pay out the appropriate amount of money and deal with any discrepancies.

•    Eating and drinking while driving

In the car, eating and drinking are two behaviors that are surprisingly common distractions during the drive. The first is self-explanatory—if you're eating, you're not focusing on the road as much as you should. Eating while driving is also bad because to eat, you have to juggle food, utensils, and a container while using your hands to shift gears or operate the pedals. This is a tiring activity and takes your eyes off of the road for long periods. Drinking from a liquid container can be particularly dangerous because even if you're taking little sips here and there, it's easy to lose track of the road for several seconds without realizing it. This can lead to crashes that could have been prevented if only you had kept your eyes on the road instead of your cup holder.

•    Talking to passengers in your vehicle (or having them speak to you)

Driving can be stressful and tedious, which makes it all too tempting to turn to someone next to you for entertainment or relief. But even just turning your head loses sight of the road for an extended period—even if you're only looking at someone for a few seconds, that's long enough to miss something important and potentially cause an accident. A Boynton Beach Accident Attorney will be able to give you advice and help with the process and help make sure that even if your case does not get settled out of court, you are compensated for your losses. For more information visit here: Drucker Law Offices