Texans who head out on the state roadways should be cognizant of the potential dangers they may face. Currently, one of the worst is distracted driving. When out and about, it is easy to see drivers looking down at a device or being distracted in other ways. This is inherently dangerous and causes auto accidents with injuries and death.
People who were in an accident should know how to investigate the accident, determine if distraction was a factor and assess how they should proceed.
According to AAA Texas, distracted driving fatalities are up by 17%
Authorities and researchers strive to educate drivers as to how distracted driving causes crashes. Unfortunately, there is a worrisome increase in fatalities due to distracted driving in the Lone Star State. This information comes just as the month of April was dedicated to preventing the practice with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
AAA Texas is using its own program – “Don’t Drive Intoxicated, Don’t Drive Intexicated” comparing the potential risk of distracted driving to drunk driving and encouraging drivers to avoid it.
In 2021, Texas had 431 distracted driving deaths. This was a 17% spike compared with 2020 and 14% worse than 2019. More than 2,900 people were injured due to this issue – a rise of one-third from 2020.
In a survey, AAA found that more than half of the drivers who participated confessed that they used their devices when they were driving. They sent text messages, checked emails and used their phone for other purposes.
In 2020, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said there were more than 3,100 distracted driving deaths in the United States. This was more than 8% of all road deaths. Approximately 400,000 were injured in these crashes.
It is not drivers who are in the greatest jeopardy when they are driving distracted, but people outside a vehicle including pedestrians and bicyclists of which more than 560 lost their lives.
Having help after a distracted driving accident may be key to the future
There are hallmarks that will be evident when there is a distracted driving accident and these can be important when people are thinking about what they should do after they have been hurt or lost a loved one. The phone itself can be checked to see if a message was being sent or it was being used in another way.
Perhaps the driver inexplicably drifted into another lane, causing a head-on collision. As with other types of accidents, it is imperative to gather evidence when trying to recover medical costs, lost wages, long-term care and more. For help, it is useful to speak to experienced professionals who understand all facets of a case.