General Warning Signs of Distracted Driving

Even with the addition of more and more states across America passing statutes and laws regarding the use of your cellphone while you are driving, it certainly seems like there is a story on the news every day about a traffic accident that was caused by distracted driving. The fact of the matter is that talking and texting are not the only distractions around when driving is involved. In fact, any sort of multitasking that takes place behind the wheel of a car is capable of prompting a driver to become distracted. A catastrophic, life-altering collision can take place even in the few seconds that you take your eyes off of the road to adjust the stereo volume.

Of course, it isn’t possible to absolutely know what every other driver on the road is doing while they are driving down the road, but there are several indications of distracted driving for which you are able to keep an eye out.

Veering to the Sides of the Lane

If a vehicle that is nearby you on the roadway keeps veering away from the middle of the lane, the odds are pretty good that the person who is driving is doing something besides paying attention to the road in front of them. Heed this as a warning that you need to maintain your distance from them and make sure that there is ample space between your vehicle and the vehicle of the potentially distracted driver.

Erratic Braking

In the event that a driver is paying attention to something other than the road in front of them, the sudden braking of the car ahead of them will most likely catch them off guard. This would cause the inattentive driver to have to slam on their brakes in order to avoid a rear-end collision. The distracted driver may not be able to avoid crashing into the next car in front of him, but if you spot this erratic behavior in time and maintain a safe following distance behind him you can avoid becoming entangled in the impending accident yourself.

Taking too Long at Red Lights

It is an all too common sight at red lights to look over at the car next to you and see the driver checking their text messages, looking for something in the backseat of the car, changing the CD, or any other number of tasks. People become so engrossed in what they are doing, that they frequently miss the fact that the light turned green many seconds ago. If your light turns green and the driver in front of you takes a noticeably long time to get going, you should take this as a sign that the driver may very well be distracted. It is possible that if the driver did not achieve whatever task they were engaged in at the red light, then they might attempt to do so while they are moving. It is best to stay away from drivers who don’t seem to notice when it’s time to step on the gas.

Wearing Earbuds

If you see a motorist with earbuds in their ears, this is a clear sign that the driver is doing something else in addition to trying to watch the road. Even if the earbuds are in so that the driver can use his hands-free device, there are still several things that require his attention, such as dialing the phone number, changing the song, dialing a phone number, or even the simple act of switching over to hands-free mode. No matter what the earbuds are there for, this person is obviously multi-tasking while they are driving.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident that was caused by a distracted driver, then you need to employ the services of a licensed, qualified car accident attorney as soon as you possibly can. Here at the Los Angeles Injury Group, we can help you fight for the compensation for the lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering that you are entitled to under the law. Give us a call for a free consultation with an attorney at (310) 954-7248 today.