Throughout the United States, distracted driving is becoming an increasingly common cause of auto accidents. This is equally true in Ohio, where it is estimated that almost half of all collisions involving everyday drivers, commercial vehicle drivers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians are a direct result of some form of distracted driving. This is in part due to the increase in use of complex navigation systems as well as the use of cell phones and other electronic devices.
However, these are far from being the only causes of distracted driving auto accidents in Ohio. In fact, distracted driving auto accidents are not a new thing that was brought on by the evolution of portable electronics, as many think. These factors have increased the frequency of distracted driving accidents, but people have been at risk of distraction on the road since we first started using automobiles. Following are some of the more common and less common causes of distracted driving auto accidents on Ohio roads.
There Are Different Categories for Different Distractions on the Road
Many people don’t realize just how many different ways a driver can become distracted, ultimately resulting in an auto accident. There are so many different possibilities that they can be divided into a three basic categories of driver distraction:
- Visual Distractions: Anything that causes a driver to take their eyes from the road.
- Manual Distractions: Anything that causes the driver to remove one hand or both hands from the wheel of the moving vehicle.
- Cognitive Distractions: Anything that causes the driver to take their mind off of the road and roadway conditions while driving.
Texting Fits Into All Three Categories of Driver Distraction
Texting is one of the latest and most modern factors in distracted driving auto accidents, and it is an example of a distraction that can be visual, manual, and cognitive, all at once. In order to read or compose a text message, the driver will take their eyes of the road, making it a visual distraction. The driver will also need to use at least one hand to operate the device, making it a manual distraction. Further, the driver will have his or her mind on the communication, rather than the road, making it a cognitive distraction.
Studies show that texting and driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving, because the reaction time of someone who is texting is impaired and slowed just as much (and in some cases, more so) than the reaction time of someone who is intoxicated. Texting is actually the among the leading causes of auto accidents, injuries, and deaths, especially among teenage drivers.
In some cases, it can be difficult to prove distracted driving negligence when an auto accident occurs. Yet, when it comes to texting and driving, there is often clear evidence of fault. Whether yourself and/or other witnesses saw the driver texting or whether the phone with incriminating text evidence is found at the scene, you will likely have physical proof of distracted driving negligence in cases that involve texting drivers. If you’ve been in an auto accident caused by someone who was texting and driving in Ohio, contact the Ohio Car Accident Lawyers today to learn how we can help you gather the necessary evidence and pursue your auto accident claim.
There Are Many Other Behaviors that Contribute to Distracted Driving
As we mentioned before, texting and driving is only one of the many possible behaviors that contribute to distracted driving auto accidents in Ohio. Some other causes of distracted driving auto accidents that we’ve handled at the Ohio Car Accident Lawyers include the following:
- Talking on the Phone – Manual and Cognitive Distraction
- Eating – Manual Distraction
- Applying Makeup – Visual, Manual, and Cognitive Distraction
- Communicating with Children or Other Passengers – Cognitive Distraction
- Changing Radio Station – Visual, Manual, and Cognitive Distraction
- Programming or Reading Navigation System – Visual, Manual, and Cognitive Distraction
- Fatigue – Cognitive Distraction
- Rushing/Running Late – Cognitive Distraction
- Reading/Writing – Visual, Cognitive, and/or Manual Distraction
An Ohio Auto Accident Attorney Can Help To Prove Negligence
Of course, many of these distracted driving behaviors can be difficult to prove if the liable driver does not admit to it, such as fatigue or changing the radio station. Others, like texting, applying makeup, or eating might be easier to prove based on the physical evidence at the scene of the accident. In any case, the determined Cincinnati, Ohio auto accident attorneys at Ohio Car Accident Lawyers are prepared to use all of the available evidence and witness statements to work towards proving liability in your Ohio auto accident claim. Contact us today for a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help you get fair compensation for your injuries and damages after a distracted driving accident.
