When you think of distracted driving you may be thinking of cell phone use and while that is a big piece of the equation, it is not the only thing to think of when thinking about distracted driving. Anything that distracts a driver, including passengers in the vehicle at the time of a crash, can be considered a threat for distracted driving. Distracted driving has been shown to have an outsized effect on whether or not a car gets into a Connecticut auto accident.
The good news is that we are starting to get a lot of data about distracted driving and education campaigns are making a difference on the number of people who are engaging in this type of behavior behind the wheel. The bad news is, there are still a staggering number of people who die each year from distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports statistics on distracted driving and in the year 2020 the administration reported that there were 3,000 fatalities due to distracted driving in the United States. This number is large and includes not only the driver of the vehicle but also passengers that were in the vehicle at the time of the accident and drivers and passengers in the vehicles that were involved in the accident outside of the person who was distracted.
From this one number alone it is clear that distracted driving is not just a problem for you as the driver, it is also a problem for passengers and other people who are sharing the road with you. It affects everyone’s safety when you are on the road.
The NHTSA has reported out a number of statistics from their findings of driving habits and accidents in 2020 including the following;
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The percentage of fatal accidents that involved some form of distracted driving in 2020 was 8.1%.
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A positive note from the report was that the number of people who hold their cell phone up to their ears while driving declined from 2019 (2.9%) to 2020 (2.6%.) Even this slight decrease is a positive sign for a situation that was steadily increasing over time.
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For teen drivers who did not have any passengers in the vehicle the number of fatalities due to distracted driving decreased by a whopping 21% and for those that were driving with one passenger the number decreased by 7%. More positive movement in the right direction for these number.
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While distracted driving was responsible for 8% of all auto accident fatalities in 2020, it was also involved in 14% of accidents that resulted in injury and 13% of all total accidents that were reported to the police in that year.
While there is some positive news and movement in these numbers as more and more people are realizing the risks of driving while distracted, there is still work to do. Distracted driving is still involved in many Connecticut auto accidents each year and the truth of the matter is that even one fatality in an accident is too many. It is all of our responsibilities to avoid distractions and also educate and encourage others to avoid this dangerous behavior behind the wheel.
If you or someone you loved was involved in an accident that had a distracted driver as a party to it and were injured, you may wish to speak with an experienced attorney about your particular situation. Contact our office and one of our attorneys will speak with you and work with you to protect your long-term interests.
