The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that over half of teen drivers use a cell phone for texting or talking while they are driving a vehicle. However, texting while driving is not the only type of distracted driving that causes accidents. One of the other major types of distracted driving is driving while drowsy. If you were involved in any type of car accident in which the other driver was distracted or driving while drowsy, you should contact a personal injury attorney to help you understand your rights. Learn the types of distracted driving below.
Common Types of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving contributes to thousands of car accidents each year. Distracted driving can include anything that turns the attention of the driver away from the roadways and increases the likelihood of an accident. Some of the main types of distractions while driving include the following:
- Generally distracted or lost in thought
- Use of cell phone (this would include texting, talking, social media use, etc.)
- Distraction from passengers
- Distraction from outside the vehicle
- Eating or drinking
- Distraction by the radio
- Distraction by attempting to adjust climate controls
- Distraction due to smoking
Technically, the definition of distracted driving can be quite broad and involves in a driver engaging in an activity that is not required to operate a vehicle.
Drowsy Driving
Driver fatigue can result in catastrophic car accidents causing severe injury or even death. The Centers for Disease Control research states that over 6,000 car accidents happen every year due to driver fatigue and drowsy driving. Some additional driver fatigue statistics in the United State include the following:
- One in 25 drivers admitted to actually falling asleep while driving on the roadways in the past 30 days.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the following number of accidents are due to drowsy driving and driver fatigue: 72,000 car accidents, 44,000 injuries, and up to 6,000 fatal car accidents yearly.
- Research indicates that people who sleep six or fewer hours per day, or those who snored, were much more likely to drive drowsy and fall asleep while operating a vehicle.
- Studies show that if do not have any sleep for 20 hours it is similar to driving with a blood-alcohol concentration level over the legal limit.
- If you are fatigued and drive drowsy, you are three times as likely to be involved in an accident.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
If another driver was distracted or driving while fatigued, their negligence may have contributed to your injuries. If you were in a car accident and believe that it had to do with distracted driving or drowsy driving, you may have the right to receive compensation for your medical bills, loss of work, or your pain and suffering. Contact our experienced personal injury attorneys at Griggs Injury Law at (816) 474-0202 to help you build a strong personal injury case. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.
