January 21, 2019
Many Bucks County motorists have heard a great deal about the dangers of texting while driving. Using a phone while behind the wheel is undoubtedly a bad idea, and these technological distractions have been linked to a number of serious accidents. However, while a good amount of legislative attention, research and technological development has gone into reducing the likelihood of distracted driving due to mobile devices, other forms of distraction remain a significant threat. One of the most common causes of serious car accidents is driving while daydreaming, inattentive or simply lost in thought.
Researchers examined data in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a database compiling information on motor vehicle accidents across the country. The information was entered by local police at the time of the crash. They examined five years of crashes with over 172,000 fatalities, and found that 10 percent were linked to distracted driving. While 14 percent of these accidents involved mobile phones, the largest amount by far involved drivers who were not paying attention behind the wheel. These drivers had taken their focus away from the road toward other thoughts.
Of course, it is difficult to legislate away the potential for people to daydream while driving. Therefore, many people have set their hopes on science to provide greater roadway safety. The advent of autonomous vehicles could eliminate human susceptibility to distraction, but even current safety features like collision avoidance could help to cut down on the risk.
People who have been injured in a car crash may suffer from severe trauma or permanent disabilities. if the accident was due to another motorist’s negligence, victims might want to have the assistance of an experienced attorney when they are seeking compensation for their losses.
