Dangerous Behaviors of Distracted Drivers

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Dangerous Behaviors of Distracted Drivers

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

Distracted driving is common and can impact a driver’s visual, manual, and cognitive driving capabilities. Distracted drivers often look down at their phones or drive too fast or too slow for the current traffic or weather conditions. If you suffer injuries by a distracted driver, reach out to a Chicago truck accident lawyer.

Modern technology has brought us many time-saving and convenient devices, programs, and gadgets. Although most people cannot imagine their lives without them now, they sometimes have serious drawbacks. One of the more severe drawbacks is that of distracted driving. According to the  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately nine people are killed and over 1,000 injured in crashes each day that involve a distracted driver in the United States. If you or someone you love became a part of this statistic, contact skilled personal injury lawyers as soon as possible.

Distraction Categories 

One of the significant problems with distracted driving is that it can cause several different types of distraction at once. The main categories of distraction are:

1. Visual: Most distracted drivers take their eyes off the road, some longer than others
2. Manual: Distracted drivers remove their hands from the wheel to do other things such as hold a phone or changing the radio station
3. Cognitive: Focusing on things other than driving 

Texting while driving is more dangerous than other activities because it requires all three types of distraction. By looking at the phone, the driver takes their eyes off of the road for an average of five seconds, which is the distance covering the length of an entire football field. Holding the phone is a manual distraction, and processing the texts received and formulating how to respond are cognitive distractions. This dangerous action is so common that personal injury attorneys have assisted millions of clients who were injured by a texting driver.

What Does Distracted Driving Look Like

Drivers who are distracted can have some characteristic behaviors that can cause an accident in the blink of an eye. Looking for these behaviors can help you drive defensively. Watch for:

1. Drivers looking down at their cell phone, leaning towards the passenger side of the vehicle or the backseat
2. Vehicles that are drifting 
3. Erratic braking
4. Speed that doesn’t match with the current flow of traffic 
5. Remaining at a stop sign or stoplight longer than necessary
6. Swerving lanes

If you observe any of these behaviors or a combination thereof, the best thing you can do is pull over in a safe place and report your observations to the authorities. If you do not notice these actions at all or notice them too late, you may wish to file a personal injury claim with personal injury lawyers that represent injured drivers.

Injured by a Distracted Driver? Call Our Personal Injury Lawyers Today

You can do everything in your control to ensure you and your passengers are as safe as possible on the road. However, you cannot personally prevent other drivers from allowing themselves to be distracted. If you or someone you love suffered damages in a vehicle accident caused by a distracted driver, you have legal recourse. Receive your free no-obligation consultation with the skilled personal injury attorneys at Malman Law today. Call (312) 629-0099 or use our online contact form.