Were You The Victim Of Distracted Driving?
We’ve all seen drivers who are completely distracted, whether texting, eating, or reaching for something in the backseat. Whatever form it takes, this type of behavior can be extremely dangerous for anyone else on the road. Distracted driving has proven to be a serious problem in Florida, with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles estimating that 56,425 distracted driving-related accidents occurred in the state in 2021 alone. Those collisions resulted in nearly 3,000 serious injuries and more than 300 deaths.
What Constitutes Distracted Driving?
Often, when people hear the term “distracted driving”, they imagine a person who is on the phone, or texting while driving. While this has become an increasingly serious problem on our nation’s roadways, it is far from being the only type of distracting behavior that drivers engage in. There are actually three categories of distracted driving under which an activity could fall, including:
- Physical distractions, which occur when a driver takes his or her hands off the wheel;
- Mental distractions, which occur when a driver is thinking about something besides driving; and
- Visual distractions, which occur when a driver takes his or her eyes off the road.
All three types of distraction are dangerous in and of themselves, but the most dangerous behaviors tend to fall under more than one category. Eating and drinking, for instance, could fall under all three categories, as could texting, or fiddling with the GPS.
Proving that Distracted Driving Caused a Car Accident
While some people who engage in distracted driving practices are fortunate enough to avoid being involved in a collision, many are not so lucky. This can have devastating consequences for other motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, all of whom are at risk of suffering an injury if the distracted driver causes a crash. Proving that the negligent driver was distracted will be of the utmost importance for injured parties who are attempting to recover compensation for their losses. To establish that a driver was distracted at the time of an accident, the victim may need to provide:
- Video recordings from security or traffic cameras, showing the driver on his or her phone or otherwise behaving negligently;
- Cell phone records, which could demonstrate that a driver was on the phone at the time of the accident;
- Eyewitness testimony from those who saw the accident occur; and
- Evidence from the scene of the crash, such as photos of skid marks, which can demonstrate how long it took a driver to attempt to brake, which in turn, can indicate whether a driver was paying attention at the time of the crash.
To learn more about the types of evidence that you could require to prove liability after a distracted driving-related crash, reach out to our legal team today.
Serving Florida Car Accident Victims Since 1981
If you were injured in an accident in which you believe distracted driving played a part, please call Boone & Davis to speak with one of our experienced Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers about your legal options. You can set up a free consultation by calling 954-566-9919 today.
Sources:
naplesnews.com/story/news/local/2022/05/17/distracted-driving-incidents-rise-across-swfl-following-florida-trend/7365410001/
nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
