How many times have you been on the road and seen another driver trying to navigate a turn while talking on the phone? Or been traveling behind a car and watched the driver constantly turn to look at their passenger while engaged in a conversation?
Not only are these situations frustrating for more conscientious drivers, but they’re also hazardous. But exactly how dangerous are New Jersey’s distracted drivers?
What is distracted driving
You already know that if someone is looking at their phone and texting, they are not concentrating on driving. But distracted driving goes beyond that. It refers to anything that takes your focus off the road and can fall under the following categories:
- Visual distraction occurs when the driver takes their eyes off the road, including looking at their GPS or phone or turning their head to look at something outside the vehicle, such as someone walking on the sidewalk or yard decorations.
- Manual distraction happens when you take your hands off the wheel, such as eating, adjusting the radio or reaching for something inside the vehicle.
- Cognitive distraction occurs when a driver’s mind isn’t focused on driving. Activities like daydreaming or talking to passengers are examples of cognitive distraction.
So, how dangerous is distracted driving? Very dangerous.
In 2022, there were over 290,000 injuries and 3,308 fatalities due to distracted driving. And, despite bans on cell phone usage, they accounted for approximately 12% of the accidents. In addition, medical bills, legal fees and lost productivity cost the U.S. economy almost $100 billion. In New Jersey, over a 10-year period, distracted drivers caused over half of all accidents, including 43% of accidents involving pedestrians.
New Jersey law enforcement and the state attorney general continue to crack down on distracted drivers, but there is still a considerable way to go. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one due to another driver’s negligence, you should be able to receive compensation.