Distracted driving has advanced with each new generation.
I once spoke to a small-town resident who spent most of his life in the same county. “Harry” used to drive his farm wagon into town to deliver fresh produce. Incredibly, his horse knew the way home from his route. Harry could day-dream “behind the wheel”, so to speak. He might have even munched on a stray carrot or strawberry left over from his route. No big deal when you’re limited to a horsepower of one, right?
Fast forward almost a century! (Yes, “Harry” was in nineties when I met him.) Our horsepower behind the wheel is at least 10x what it used to be!
When my brothers learned to drive, cell phones were still a brand-new, space-age technology. That wasn’t the issue. Early work hours were. Hot oatmeal was still on the menu for breakfast.
Grab and go breakfast meant a tub of hot oatmeal.
Combine that with a newly-minted driver! Dad’s work truck ended up hitting and destroying a mailbox, post and all, due to one tub of hot oatmeal spilling in the driver’s lap.
Fortunately, the residents were understanding. No personal injury lawyers were needed. Just a handshake, a sincere apology, and some sweat to replace the post and mailbox repaired the damages. No lives were injured or lost. We all counted our blessings!
How many of you eat and drive? Guilty hand raised here! I’m going estimate at least 95% of folks do.
Have you ever had an auto accident related to distracted driving? Did your burger and fries do more damage than just clogging your arteries? What about hot coffee? I’ve had a few close calls myself with that form of distracted driving.
Cell phones! Now there’s the major culprit in distracted driving. Some states ban hand-held cell usage altogether while driving.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 80% of drivers feel unsafe due to distracted drivers. How many times have you been tempted to yell at a fellow driver, “Hang up the phone and drive!”? More times than you can count, right?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving accounted for over 3, 000 deaths in 2015!
Worse yet, the distracted driving auto accident injuries are over the 300,000 mark!
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
Teens are especially vulnerable to distracted driving. Again, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety conducted a study on teen drivers. They found teens drive distracted about 25 % of the time. We all need help!
3 simple ways to avoid causing a distracted driving car crash:
1.) Don’t allow your teen to use their cell phone while driving. Check their phones regularly. You may have to become the phone Nazi, but saving lives is worth it!
2.) Set the example! Turn your own phone off or on vibrate. Maybe you really need to take a call? Operate hands-free only! Pull over if at all possible. Show your teen how responsible drivers operate.
3.) Limit food intake on the road! Who am I kidding? We’re all going to eat and drive. Our lives are just too busy not to. At least forget that messy, drippy taco or the super-sized burger whlle driving.
Sometimes I wish we could return to the days of “Harry” and join him on his leisurely produce wagon deliveries. No massive traffic, no cell phones, no angry drivers cutting you off in traffic, and almost no distracted drivers, right?
Maybe someone in your house has had an auto accident due to a distracted driver. You need an experienced car crash attorney to help you pursue your best legal options.
http://steimel-law.com/traffic-matters.html
The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC are here to help. Call (636)244-3737 for a free initial consulation today!
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