When on the road in Ohio and across the U.S., there are enough dangers and possible hazards that drivers do not want to think about the danger of serious injury and fatality from encountering a distracted driver. Unfortunately, it is a reality that the number of ways in which a driver can have the person's attention diverted from the road is growing exponentially. Studies are examining this phenomenon. One in particular has determined that there is an increase in distracted driving among teenage drivers with a rise in texting and driving and the use of social media.
The information detailing this was provided by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Over the past five years, there have been more than 5,000 fatalities in crashes involving teens over the summer months. Close to 60 percent of accidents involving a teen are deemed to have been because of a distraction. The basis for this study was accrued over eight years. AAA worked with the University of Iowa and looked at 2,200 accidents that were caught on film. This was in comparison to other videos from 2007 to 2012.
The researchers discovered that there were three main distractions for teens when they were driving and that these had the propensity to lead to an auto accident. Fifteen percent were talking to or interacting with another person in the vehicle; twelve percent were attributed to cellphone use whether it was texting, talking or using it in some other way; and 11 percent were due to looking at or attending to something in the vehicle.
Considering the number of dangers that are on the road, the use of cellphones in any way exponentially increases the risks that arise. When there is an auto accident, there can be massive medical costs, the inability to work, the need for rehabilitation and long-term care and fatalities. Those who have been affected by a driver who was engaging in these behaviors need assistance in pursuing a case to be compensated with help from a legal professional experienced in investigating and pursuing litigation after a car accident.
Source: ksl.com, "Nearly 60% of teen crashes involved distracted driving, study says," Jasen Lee, June 1, 2016
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