How Distracted Driving Can Get Things All Screwed Up

 
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is any activity that diverts a person’s attention away from driving. Sending or reading text messages, fiddling with a cell phone or smartphone, eating and drinking causing the driver to let go of the steering wheel, excessive talking to passengers, grooming or putting on make-up, reading including maps, fiddling with a navigation system, watching a video, even the excessive adjusting of a radio, CD player or MP3 player all count as distractions when driving.

Facts about distracted driving

Most people don’t recognize the ill effects of distracted driving. In fact, a lot of people believe that distractions can really affect one’s skills, preventing them from being successful in avoiding accidents as hazards suddenly pop out of the road.  In fact, the number of those involved in accidents got lower at 387,000 in 2011 compared to the 416,000 involved in accidents back in 2010. However, the number of people who died increased to 3,311 in 2011, 64 deaths higher than the recorded 3,267 deaths because of crashes brought about by distractions to the driver, 64 cases higher than the number of casualties for the same period in 2010. These staggering numbers prove the point that distracted driving can really get one person into serious trouble.

The aftermath of an accident caused by distracted driving

Beyond the numbers mentioned in the statistics, the damage caused by such accidents can be devastating. For one, crashes bring about damage to property. Accidents can cause damages to the car of both parties, as well as other structures on and off the road. These accidents can also cause bodily injuries which hurt or leave a victim temporarily and permanently disabled.

Running after irresponsible drivers
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
If the negligence of a driver has caused an accident that resulted to damage to one’s property or worse, caused one to get injured or dead, the driver can be held liable for personal injury. By filing a personal injury claim through the help of a car accident attorney in Los Angeles, one victim can avenge what has happened to him or her. This will help them get compensation to have the damaged properties fixed. More importantly though, such repayments can be used by one to get the treatment, medication, and rehabilitation that they need, while also being paid of the earning they should have received while they are unable to work because of these disabilities. This will help these poor victims rebuild their good life that they’ve almost lost when this accident happened.

So when you’re out on the road, keep those distractions away and focus on what you should really be doing; driving—nothing more, nothing less.

The Perils of Distracted Driving in the Realm of Law Enforcement

Blasting sirens, breakneck speeds, and aggressive pursuits: these are what we typically describe a perfectly normal police response. Whether they are responding to an accident on the road or chasing down a culprit who had just stolen a car or has done some law violation, the pursuits we see on TV news footage and even in real life are just the regular duties of the elements of most law enforcement agencies.

However, officers who engage in emergency responses and police pursuits on a regular basis, while exercising professionalism in the line of duty, are often beset with the possibility of encountering accidents.

As it is, driving while on pursuit of a criminal on a heated chase often involves multitasking on the part of the officer. Looking at it, police officers often engage in distracted driving practices, which we all know is one of the primary factors as to why accidental injuries and deaths happen.

Distracted driving explained

Basically, distracted driving, among normal motorists, is more than just using the cell phone to text or call while driving.  Activities that are usually done simultaneously with driving are often diverse. They include fidgeting on the car stereo, eating and drinking, talking to a companion inside the vehicle, and picking up a loose change on the floor of the vehicle, among others.

In the United States, distracted driving is one of the lingering problems in the realm of traffic safety. In fact, in 2011, some 3,331 people were killed in car crashes involving a distracted driver. The figure was a 1.9 percent increase from the previous year, which stood at 3,267. Conversely, related injuries decreased by 7 percent in 2011, from about 416,000 in 2010 to around 387,000.

Multitasking during police responses and pursuits

Police officers, for one, often engage in multitasking activities while driving, and that is a part of their job. However, such duties would often take away the officer’s attention away from his or her driving. From complex ones such as entering queries into the mobile data terminal or MDT, to as simple as talking to a fellow officer on the police radio, multitasking while on the line of duty can be dangerous.

In fact, many officers have died in accidents while performing pursuits and emergency responses. Interestingly, in 2009, statistics showed that they often involve those who already had vast experience in law enforcement, particularly 35-year-old officers who had served 9 years in the police force.

Efforts to curb distracted driving in law enforcement

Despite most law enforcement being exempted from laws that prohibit distracted driving, there are states whose agencies have applied such legislation to its police force who exclusively deal with emergency responses and pursuits. One of them is the State of Washington. In Florida, it mandated hands-free voice communication to its troopers, despite the state’s lack of such statute.

Meanwhile, every Los Angeles car accident lawyer informs that there are no relevant laws yet with regard to distracted driving in California’s law enforcement. While there are existing laws in the state with regard to the use of mobile phones while driving for motorists, California authorities might as well pursue a similar statute for the benefit of those who respond to emergencies and pursuits.