Distracted Driving

What is Distracted Driving?

Distracted Driving is when a person operates a motor vehicle while engaging in activities that divert attention from driving tasks, such as:

Talking on a cell phone
Using a navigation system
Texting or emailing
Eating
Adjusting hair or makeup
Using the audio system
Texting

What is Distracted Driving?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Distracted driving is any activity that…takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.” Studies have shown that texting while driving significantly increases the likelihood of a crash or near-crash event. The detrimental effects of distracted driving can range from minor fender-benders to severe accidents resulting in life-altering injuries or fatalities.

Understanding the risks associated with distracted driving and adopting safe driving practices can help mitigate its adverse impacts on road safety and overall public safety.

More information about Distracted Driving

Traffic Deaths Continue to Rise in 2015, 2016

car crash traffic deaths Traffic deaths in the U.S. are rising at an alarming rate.

In 2015, fatal car crashes increased 7.2% from the previous year. And, preliminary numbers for the first half of 2016 show a 9% increase over the same period last year.

So far this year, more than 19,000 people have lost their lives in car crashes, and an additional 2.2 million have suffered injuries. Given these numbers, the National Safety Council estimates that this year could be the deadliest Labor Day weekend in 8 years.

Why are fatal accidents up so much, and what can we do about it?

On one hand, cars are getting safer. Safety equipment and technology have improved remarkably over the last decade, with many life-saving features now standard on new models. Yet traffic deaths continue to climb.

According to National Safety Council CEO Deborah Hersman, […]

Drivers Beware – Pokemon Go is Driving People to Distraction

go dist driving Pokemon Go is taking over.

If you haven’t already heard, Pokemon Go is an enormously popular new augmented reality gaming app that uses players’ GPS and smartphone camera to allow users to explore their real-life environments to capture virtual creatures. Launched about a week ago, it has already been downloaded by 7.5 million people. It surpassed Tinder as the #1 most downloaded app on iTunes, and is getting more usage time than SnapChat, WhatsApp, and even Instagram.

If distracted driving wasn’t enough of a problem already…

The game has been praised for getting people outside, moving around, and interacting with other users in real life. However, the game can be highly distracting. There have already been reports of people falling, walking into walls, and being robbed while trying to catch Pokemon. Safety officials have issued warnings, urging players to “look up once in a while.” […]

Teen in jail, Snapchat speed filter blamed for 107 MPH crash

speed crash A 19-year-old girl is in jail after allegedly causing a 107 MPH car crash outside of Atlanta, GA, while using Snapchat to record her speed.

Snapchat has a filter that allows users to record how fast they’re traveling when they take photos or videos with the app.

As personal injury lawyers who handle car accidents on a daily basis, we can’t help but see the Snapchat speed filter as inherently dangerous, and as an accident waiting to happen. In a society already marred by distracted driving, this filter seems to contradict every effort to deter cell phone use behind the wheel. While representatives of the app claim that the speed filter includes a warning not to use it while driving, that seems contradictory to its very function and offers little comfort to the families of those who have been hurt in other accidents involving a speeding, […]

Don’t Call it a Car “Accident”

car accident lawyer Safety advocates are trying to change the way we talk about motor vehicle crashes.

Mark Rosekind, head of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said that the term car “accident” implies that it was no one’s fault, it could not have been prevented or foreseen.

In reality, more than 90% of collisions are caused by driver error – drinking, distracted driving, speeding, and other risky behavior. Relatively few are true “accidents,” caused by uncontrollable situations like a mechanical malfunction, icy roads, or other factors.

So what difference does it make? Why does it matter what word we use to describe these incidents? Road fatalities are on the rise. Safety officials, lawmakers, and aggrieved families feel strongly that language reflects our attitudes, which affect policy. When the language we use implies that nothing could have been done to prevent a tragic “accident,” […]

“Textalyzer” Could Help Reduce Distracted Driving

car accident texting while driving Distracted driving, perhaps the biggest road safety scourge of the decade, is getting worse nationwide.

In Pennsylvania, for instance, distracted driving citations increased by 43% from 2014 to 2015; in our home of Lackawanna County, the number of distracted driving citations skyrocketed from 32 to 115, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune.

Last week, our own Dan Munley was quoted about a recent case in which a Lawrence County judge ruled that a person texting a distracted driver who then got into a crash could potentially be held accountable.

In order to combat this growing problem, some safety advocates have suggested that we begin viewing distracted driving the same way we view drunk driving. While distracted driving does not involve the consumption of an intoxicating substance, distraction can impair your driving ability just as much as alcohol, […]