Using your phone while you are driving through southwest Virginia divides your attention from the road and puts you, your passengers and other drivers at significantly higher risk of an automobile accident and serious injury. Over the years, portable phones have evolved to include more features, such as texting, browsing the internet, and listening to music. Studies have shown that using these functions while driving only furthers vehicular crash risk.
According to USA Today, a recent report has shown that overall phone use while driving has decreased. However, drivers who do use their smartphones on the road are talking on the phone less and increasingly using other features on the phone. The report found that these drivers are putting themselves at greater risk for an automobile wreck. The USA Today piece points out that using a phone in ways other than calling someone boosts a crash risk by nearly 66%.
Estimates from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have also found that in 2017, eight hundred people died because of motorists who used their phones in ways other than a call. The problem with smartphone use is that it requires the user to divide attention from the road. Drivers also have to take a hand off the wheel to manipulate the phone’s functions. Without full attention on the road, a driver has reduced reaction time and may not be able to act before suffering a collision.
A driver’s primary responsibility is always to pay attention to the road and to minimize distractions that can take away the driver’s attention. As informative and fun as smartphones can be, they should not be used when a person needs to safely navigate their vehicle on the road. A person who suffers physical injury from a driver who used their smartphone at the time of the crash could find the driver guilty of negligent behavior and hold them liable for damages.
If you were injured because a driver was distracted by their phone, you need trusted help. Our attorneys can help you hold the distracted driver accountable and obtain your deserved compensation. You can schedule your free consultation now, by calling us at 540-627-5131 or by sending us an email.
This article is written to provide general information on personal injury and is not to be taken as legal advice.
