Despite it being common knowledge that being distracted behind the wheel is dangerous, drivers across the nation continue to make the reckless decision to do so. In Florida, which has amongst the largest number of traffic fatalities in the country, distracted driving leads to hundreds of fatalities each year.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 50,190 distracted driving crashes in Florida in 2017, 3,069 incapacitating injuries, and 220 fatalities. 4,436 of these occurred in Miami-Dade County, ranking it third in the state for number of distracted driving collisions.
There are three main types of distracted driving:
- Manuel distractions occur when a driver takes their hand(s) off the steering wheel.
- Visual distractions occur when a driver’s eyes wander away from the road.
- Cognitive distractions occur when a driver loses focus and stops paying attention to driving.
Texting while driving is particularly dangerous because it encompasses all three of these, but it is not the leading cause of distracted driving accidents. In fact, the number one cause of distracted driving accidents is driver inattentiveness (i.e., daydreaming or zoning out).
There are a number of other ways that a driver can become distracted as well, including:
- Talking to passengers
- Eating or drinking
- Applying makeup
- Putting on music
- Inputting a GPS destination
- Rubber-necking
- Getting something from a bag or wallet
- Lighting a cigarette
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a distracted driving accident, you can turn to the personal injury lawyers of Baron, Herskowitz, and Cohen for the legal representation you need. Consultations can be requested through an online contact form or, for a more immediate response, by calling the office directly at (305) 670-0101.
