What is Distracted Driving and How Can it Affect Your Car?

Drivers that don’t pay attention to the road put everyone’s lives in danger because they increase the chances of getting into a disastrous car accident. The consequences can result in lives lost and a large amount of property damage because of distracted driving. It is also illegal in the state of Georgia to use your phone without a hands-free device.

This is to protect drivers from accidentally colliding so that they remain focused on the road and the environment around them. According to lawyer Pendergrass, you should learn more about distracted driving to prevent you from getting into a life-threatening accident. 

What Is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving happens when a driver stops paying attention to the road for any amount of time and looks at something else that grabs their attention. Here are multiple ways in which this can happen: 

Texting

One of the most frequent issues that occur in distracted driving is texting. Mobile phone usage while driving is not only prohibited but has been the cause of 1.6 million crashes every year and 390,000 injuries. That alone amounts to one out of every four car accidents that happen in the US.

Mapping Out Your Destination

You may be GPS mapping on your phone and trying to locate where you are headed; however, this can be the cause of a bad accident. Try to map out your destination before you get in the vehicle or before you drive away. Distracted driving can be avoided with you mapping out your destination.

Checking Social Media

Another dangerous trend that has only worsened is constant social media usage when operating a vehicle. Distracted drivers may take social media selfies and do live feeds while they are driving on the road. 

Sending Emails

Busy work professionals may find it difficult to keep up with their careers and may send emails when in the car if they believe it is urgent enough. Instead of risking getting into a car accident, it is safer to pull over and stop a vehicle to send an important email. 

Sending Instant Messages

Text messages aren’t the only problem that occurs with mobile phone distractions, but also instant messaging. Just because you are not texting doesn’t mean it is not illegal, and so is messaging on other apps on your phone. 

Calling Or Talking To People 

When you are holding the phone with one hand and talking on the phone, this can serve as a distraction and result in increasing the risk of a car accident. Hands-free devices are useful in situations like this as they can prevent you from breaking laws or crashing into other cars. You can choose to not talk on the phone as a good safety tip.

Taking Videos And Pictures 

You may be on a scenic route and think that the area is beautiful and take photos or videos while driving, but this is dangerous behavior even if you are driving slowly. We understand that you might want to take photos in the car but you can take them before or after driving. And with Lightroom car presets you can make great photos!

How Does Distracted Driving Affect Your Car?

Distracted driving can result in a fatal car accident, and it can put you and the lives of those around you at risk of a collision. When you take your eyes off the road for more than two seconds, you can vastly enhance your odds of getting into a car accident. You can get into a head-on, t-bone, or back-end collision, in addition to other common ways that car accidents can occur. 

What Should You Do If You Suspect The Other Driver Was A Distracted Driver?

You may have gotten into an accident with a driver who was arguing with other passengers or illegally texting on their phone. However, it can be difficult to prove that this was what caused an accident without the help of an attorney.

You can ask your attorney to file a subpoena to find out from the other driver’s cellphone company whether they were texting while driving by providing the cellphone usage history. They may also be able to check traffic cameras that were nearby to show how the car driver was behaving before the accident. If there were eyewitnesses, your attorney can contact them and get first-hand information about what happened. 

How Else Can An Attorney Help Me?

In addition to helping you obtain fair representation in your settlement claim, your lawyer can investigate and build the evidence for your case. They will also estimate your damages using proven methods and protect you from receiving less than you deserve in damages.