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According to a car accident attorney, who represents clients who were involved in automobile accidents, there are many distractions that can affect one’s ability to drive safely. An article by The New York Times summarizes the findings in a recent report. The study is based on data that was collected by the Second Strategic Highway Research Program Naturalistic Driving Study. In this study, 3,500 car drivers were tracked with cameras and sensors that monitored rates of speed, use of acceleration and location via GPS. With this information, the researchers were able to collect exact collision times for hundreds of car accidents. In addition, the cameras captured valuable information regarding where the driver’s eyes were focused on the minutes preceding the accident.
Beware of Dangerous Distractions While Driving
While getting into the driver’s seat and beginning a commute to any location, there are many distractions that can get you off track and ruin your day. Taking your eyes and concentration off the road for as short a time as a fraction of a second can be deadly, according to a car accident attorney. In the study, which lasted three years, numerous types of distractions that can result in an increased risk of accidents were identified. Researchers from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute published the findings after carefully analyzing millions of miles of data in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It seems as though that during more than 50% of the filmed trips, drivers were distracted by something either inside the car or out at some point. In the 900+ serious accidents studied, distractions were the cause in almost 70% of them.
Percentage of Risk Involved In Driving While Distracted
Hands-down, the worst distraction while driving is if the driver is impaired by the use of alcohol or drugs. This scenario ups the chances of a motor vehicle collision by 70%. While a car accident attorney can be of benefit in every situation, the unfortunate consequences of driving under the influence can be powerful. After this, the next highest percentage of accidents is caused by dialing a phone while driving. This distraction increases the drivers’ chance of crashing the car by 12%. Glancing down to read what’s on your cellphone screen or writing messages while driving increases the risk of an accident by 10%. Also coming in at 10% is driving while you are raging angry or upset and trying to drive through the tears. A car accident attorney would suggest pulling safely off to the side of the road until you can get yourself under control. If you are in the car and you reach for something next to you, your eyes are diverted long enough to cause an accident that is 9 times greater than if you would have been watching the road. However, if the item you were reaching for was a mobile phone, then your accident risk is multiplied 5 times. If you then used your phone to type out a text, you’re back up in the risk factor of 6 times the normal. But if you’re only browsing what’s on your phone or reading emails in your inbox, your chances of getting into an accident are still three times higher.
Getting Help From an Experienced Car Accident Attorney
After reading all of these warnings, if you still get into a car crash, contact one of our attorneys at GOM Law to get free consultation and for a clear explanation of your legal rights. If you or one of your loved ones has had a car accident then contact as soon as possible. No matter what the reason for your accident, we have an experienced and caring car accident attorney who can help take your case to court and get you the compensation you deserve.