For over 25 years, the attorneys at Grazian and Volpe have represented the victims of motor vehicle accidents in Illinois, Chicago and South Chicago. It has been distressing to observe the increase in avoidable accidents caused by drivers distracted by the use of a hand-held device, i.e. the cell phone or a smart device- eating and putting on make-up also qualifies.
These crashes often cause serious personal injury and death. The National Highway Administration defines a distracted driver as the driver of a vehicle who engages in an activity that has the potential to take his or her attention away from the primary task of driving. It is estimated that over 35% percent of all personal injuries sustained in a car crash or motor vehicle accident were the result of distracted driving.
There are three main categories of distraction:
- Visual: Taking your eyes off the road
- Manual-taking your hands off the wheel;
- Cognitive-taking your mind off the focus of driving ( i.e., arguing with your spouse on the cell phone)
The more distraction types involved, the greater becomes the likelihood of a crash. For example, a driver using a hand-held device is normally looking at, manipulating and concentrating on the device and increasing his risk of serious injury in a crash by 400%(according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).
For more information on this subject please visit our blog or Grazian and Volpe on FaceBook. Please feel free to submit questions to John Grazian at WCIU, You and Me in the Mornings or just call Grazian and Volpe for a free consultation on your personal injury, accident or workplace injury questions.
