Statistics on Distracted Driving in California

For the majority of California motorists, driving a car has become second nature. It’s an activity in which they engage each and every day, getting to and from work, home, and how they accomplish their personal errands. Regrettably, our modern, hectic way of life usually makes people feel the need to multi-task in order to check more things off of their To Do list. Multi-tasking has also become common and is something that we have grown used to seeing people do, even when they are behind the wheel of a car. Sadly, approximately 3,287 people lose their lives each day in deadly car crashes. Recent studies seem to indicate that almost 26% of these car accidents are the direct result of distracted driving, meaning these accidents could have easily been prevented. Distracted driving has become a very pressing matter in recent years, and it is one that concerns every single driver on the road, no matter their age or any additional external factors. If you have been injured in a vehicle collision where you suspect that distracted driving played a role, then you need to contact a personal injury attorney as soon as you can.

Statistics Regarding Distracted Driving

• Distracted driving is responsible for nearly 26% of all car crash deaths
• More than 80% of motorists confess to engaging in clearly dangerous activities while driving, like steering with a foot, changing clothes, doing their makeup or even trying to shave
• Three  seconds of a driver not paying attention to the road is all it takes to cause a crash
• 2015 saw 391,000 injuries that were caused by distracted driving
• Teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal vehicle collision than any other age group
• Distracted driving is seen as a tough problem to combat because it is difficult to catch people doing it
• Because there is no way to verify that distracted driving caused a car crash unless the driver admits to it, experts believe that the numbers of fatalities, injuries, and crashes, brought on by distracted driving are extensively underreported

Kinds of Driver Distractions

• Visual tasks – Small tasks like adjusting the seat or fiddling with the stereo which causes the driver to redirect his or her focus from the road in front of them
• Manual tasks –  These are tasks which require the driver to take one or both hands off of the steering wheel, such as trying to eat or reach an item on the floor
• Cognitive tasks – These tasks cause a driver’s mind to concentrate on an activity other than driving, like looking for a particular location or just generally spacing out.

The reason cell phone use of any kind while driving is so exceptionally dangerous is because it engages visual, manual, and cognitive distractions all at the same time.

Contributing Factors to Distracted Driving

• Teenage drivers who also have passengers in the car with them are at double the risk of getting into a fatal car collision. If more than one passenger is in the car, their odds are then five times greater
• 7% of distracted driving-related deaths are caused by something taking place outside of the vehicle that manages to catch the driver’s attention.
• At 62%, the biggest cause of distracted driving crashes is a driver spacing out while they are driving. Having your mental focus on your driving is no less essential than having your visual focus on it.

Distracted driving is a very widespread and complicated issue. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident where you believe the negligent party was engaged in distracted driving behaviors, then you need to get in touch with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. The attorneys here at the Los Angeles Injury Group have the reputation and the experience in these matters that you are looking for. We seek to get the maximum amount of recovery for you that you are entitled to under California state law. If you are interested in a free consultation with one of our attorneys here, please give us a call at 310-954-7248 today and we would be happy to discuss your personal injury case with you today.