Types of Distracted Driving in California
No matter what we do in life, multitasking sits at the center of everything. Because of this, distracted driving takes place on our roadways more often than we would like to admit. These actions by drivers have become extremely dangerous because as they take away our attention from the road, making us more prone to accidents.
According to data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving is the cause of about 424,000 injuries and many fatalities that occurred in 2013 alone. There are many forms of distracted driving and many actions you can take if you are injured in one of these accidents.
If you’ve been injured in an accident due to a distracted driver, the auto accident attorneys at Los Angeles Injury Group can help.
Types of Distracted Driving in California
Cognitive: Cognitive distractions, also known as a mental distraction, are the type of distractions that occur when a driver is not focused on the act of driving. This happens when a driver on our roadways is preoccupied with other tasks such as listening to your favorite songs on the radio or speaking to others in the vehicle with you.
Visual: Visual distractions take place when a driver looks at anything other than the road in front of them. Drivers become distracted on a visual level when they are using electronic devices like a GPS or fiddling with a portable DVD for their children. There are many other distractions that take our eyes away from the roads as well.
Manual: Manual distractions take place when the driver takes their hands off of the wheel. Some of the distractions that take place include eating and drinking in the vehicle, adjusting the GPS, or trying to remove something from a purse.
All three of these distractions can quickly become dangerous, risking lives of the driver and other drivers and passengers on the roadways. One of the most dangerous types of distraction on California roadways is texting and driving, which takes many lives and causes permanent, life-threatening injuries every year.
Liability in a California Distracted Driving Case
There are many types of distracted driving on our roadways and many ways that a driver can be held liable based on the circumstances. Determining who would be liable in a case where a driver was texting and driving can be difficult. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 30% of all car accidents across the U.S. took place due to drivers who were texting and driving at the time. These are just the statistics pulled from the drivers who actually admitted to it. The actual number could be much higher.
A driver who was texting and driving is legally liable for all of the damages that stem from an accident. Every driver is supposed to legally look out for the safety and well-being of other drivers on the roadways. If somebody is texting and driving, the driver is breaching their duty of care to other drivers on the roadways, which makes these actions negligent in nature. This is an inherently dangerous prospect and one that is looked down upon on our roadways. This means that the driver would be responsible for your accident and the damages that they have caused.
Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney
If you believe that you are entitled to compensation due to the actions of a driver, you have many rights to bring a claim and we want to stand by your side. We understand just how serious a case can be when somebody has engaged in distracted driving and we want to help you every step of the way at the Los Angeles Injury Group. We are waiting to hear from you at 310-954-7248.