While teens are often inseparable from their cellphones, all New Jersey motorists need to be aware of the dangers of using one while operating a vehicle as one in three motorists have reportedly made a habit of distracted driving. An AT&T campaign found that more than half of drivers keep their smartphones within reaching distance while behind the wheel, and people use their smartphones while driving to post on social media, use apps, get on the internet, take photos or video chat.
Some of these instances of distracted driving are more rare while others are commonplace as the AT&T campaign reported that 61 percent of people text while driving. The prevalence of distracted driving is troubling because as many as 6,000 people are killed and 600,000 others are injured by distracted drivers every year. Distracted driving may have become a bigger problem than driving under the influence of alcohol, which injures around 290,000 people annually.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and several safety groups are encouraging people to raise awareness and become more informed about distracted driving in order to combat this dangerous practice. Some states have rules regulating phone usage while driving, but motorists in any state can make personal pledges with their families to agree to safe driving.
Those who suffer injuries after a car accident caused by a distracted driver often face the need for lengthy and expensive medical care. In some cases they lose income due to an inability to return to their place of employment. They may want to meet with an attorney to see how best to seek compensation for these losses. An attorney could use the cellphone records of the motorist to show that it was being used at the time of the accident.
