“What were you thinking?”
We’re talking about distracted driving. Far too many drivers out there are taking their eyes off the road behind the wheel and putting lives at risk. That’s why officials with the National Safety Council (NSC) are joining in recognizing April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month,
Our New York City car accident lawyers understand that thousands are killed each and every year as a result of drivers using cell phones behind the wheel and engaging in other distractions. According to Distraction.gov, there were more than 3,330 people who were killed in car accidents in the U.S. in 2010 that involved a distracted driver. That’s a number that’s on the rise. In addition, there were more than 415,000 people who were injured in these same kinds of accidents.
As a matter of fact, officials estimate that about 20 percent of all injury accidents involve a distracted driver. And those are only the ones we know about. Officials believe that the actual number is much higher as most drivers are not ready to admit that it was their irresponsible (and distracted) driving that caused an accident.
To help to put an end to this deadly behavior, officials with the NSC are asking drivers to:
-Put away the phones while operating a motor vehicle. Toss is in the back seat or in the glove compartment. If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind.
-Get familiar with the dangers involved in cognitive distractions. The more you understand, the less likely you are to engage in this dangerous behavior.
-Talk with your friends, family members and others in your community about the risks of distracted driving. Help to make this change a group effort.
-If you call someone who is driving when they answer, happily tell them that you’ll call them back once they’ve stopped at a safe location.
To take it a step further, and to help to save lives, officials are asking you to take the pledge to drive cell phone free. Encourage the ones around you to pledge, too. These are all baby steps we need to take for a bigger change.
National Distracted Driving Awareness Month was launched back in 2010 by former Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO) and passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. It was passed in honor of a 9-year-old girl who was hit and killed by a distracted driving in Colorado. Her mother is the founding board members of Focus Driven – Advocates for Cell-free Driving.
The truth of the matter is that drivers who use hand-held devices are about four times more likely to get into a crash serious enough to injure themselves. Drivers who text message behind the wheel are about 23 times more likely to get into an accident.
Stay safe out there — put away the phones.
The Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC offers free consultations to those who have been injured in an accident. Call 1-877-313-7673.
More Blog Entries:
New York Teens at High Risk of Traffic Accidents this Spring, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, March 8, 2013
Car Accident Fatalities Rising in New York, Nation, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, February 24, 2013
