All Texas motorists should have a strong interest in maintaining safe driving conditions. One consistent crash risk that has dramatically increased as a source of concern in recent years is driver distraction. This can be defined as any activity that causes drivers to take their eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel or their attention off the task of driving.
There are many different types of occurrences within a vehicle that can be distracting to the driver. Passengers, especially young children, GPS systems, music players and eating are just some examples. It probably comes as no surprise, however, that phone use tops the list as the No. 1 driver distraction. What may be surprising is what a recent insurance company study revealed about motorists’ perceptions about distracted driving.
The researchers studied various age groups in many different geographic locations. Every age group acknowledged that cell phones posed a big potential for distraction. It was also confirmed the mere availability of the phone often proved too difficult to resist using. However, almost every group of respondents believed groups other than their own as more problematic. Additionally, it seems that technology designed to make driving safer, such as hands-free options, simply gave the driver an often false sense of security.
Ultimately, it is up to the individual driver to ensure they are safely operating their vehicle under the conditions. If not, a distracted driver who is responsible for causing an injury accident may be held liable for damages. A personal injury lawyer can fully explain the relevant issues to a crash victim.
