Why Distracted Driving Leads to Car Accidents in New York
Thousands of people suffer injuries or death from distracted driving accidents. Distracted driving does not just mean texting while driving. Taking your eyes off the road to change the settings on a GPS, using an app on the phone, or eating are all considered different types of distracted driving. It only takes a few seconds to veer into a wrong lane or miss a red light. Consider contacting a New York State Personal Injury Attorney if you have been in a car accident caused by a distracted driver.
Types of Distracted Driving
Using a smartphone while driving is one of the most common types of distracted driving, but there are several others that many people may not be aware of. Drivers have been known to lose control from just reaching for a phone that fell on the floor. Typing an address in a GPS, checking email or social media, or taking a photo have also been implicated in distracted driving accidents.
All of these distractions have one thing in common. They divert attention away from the road in front of the driver. Most driving classes teach that drivers need to be aware of what is behind them, in front of them, on the sides, and what is hiding in the blind spots. Doing anything like using an electronic device, eating, or messing with the radio for too long may prevent a driver from keeping up with what is happening on the road.
How Driving Distractions Lead to Accidents
A lot of people have heard about distracted driving accidents, but not many people understand what causes these accidents other than the distraction. The brain’s limited attention plays a major role in the way distractions lead to potentially fatal mistakes. When attention is held by more than two activities at once, reaction time slows down. This is fine when doing things at home, but dangerous while driving because driving itself requires attention to multiple areas.
Spatial processing is reduced significantly when people are listening to something. This can mean listening during a conversation, on the phone, or to the radio. However, passengers can also help drivers avoid mistakes because they can serve as a second eye on the road.
New York State Car Accident Attorney
Distracted driving can lead to different types of injuries like whiplash, broken bones, and soft tissue injuries. In severe cases, some car accident survivors come out with spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries. Many of these injuries can result in expensive medical bills, but you may not have to struggle to pay them all off. Talk to a North Syracuse Car Accidents Lawyer to figure out whether the other driver was responsible for the accident.
At Gattuso & Ciotoli, we offer legal help in four practice areas. We provide services in Syracuse, Central New York, Syracuse, Watertown, Binghamton, North Syracuse, Camillus, Liverpool, Cortland, and Auburn. You can call us at (315) 314-8000 for a free consultation. Our goal is to work with you to thoroughly investigate your claim and protect your rights.