According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving claimed the lives of 3,308 people in 2022. They say that “distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system”. Anything you do that takes away your attention from the road is distracted driving.
The NHTSA notes that texting is the most dangerous distraction. “Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed”.
You can control your own actions on the road, but what about those driving distracted around you? Here are some tips from Evercare Protection on how to spot a distracted driver, so you can stay safer on the road.
Erratic Movements/Inability to Stay in One Lane
When a driver is distracted, whether with a text, something on the dashboard, or other people in the vehicle, they will not notice when they veer into other lanes. Once the driver realizes they have veered off, they might overcorrect back to their lane. As you are on the road, if you see someone constantly veering in and out of their lanes, you should keep your distance from them.
Holding a Phone, Texting, or Glow of Phone at Night
If you are driving by a vehicle, you might have noticed a driver looking down to text or speaking on their phone. It might be good to keep an eye on these vehicles as you are driving by them on the road.
Rowdy Interaction with Other People in the Car
Another distraction is other people in the car, who might be getting rowdy. This includes driving with friends or kids. If you have passengers in the car, make sure that they know their impact on your driving, so you can arrive to your destination safely.
Driving Too Fast or Too Slow
When a car is speeding up and slowing down intermittently, this is a sign that they are not paying attention to the road or their vehicle. These are vehicles you should try to avoid when driving.
Eating While Driving
Eating while driving is dangerous. Your hands are often preoccupied, and you can spill things on you easily. These can cause you to take your eyes off the road. Wait to eat until you are done driving.
Slow Response Time/Running a Red Light/Sudden Braking
If you see a driver that is not reacting to stop lights or traffic openings on time, this probably means that this person is distracted. If you are following a person who is responding slowly, you should be more aware of the road around you, so you are able to stop if time if they are not.
Tailgating
If someone is driving closely behind you, they might not be paying attention to the distance. Tailgating is dangerous anyway, but if the person is tailgating and distracted, then the situation gets even more dangerous. Here is an article for more information on why tailgating is dangerous.
Failure to Use Turn Signal
Often people do not use their blinkers, but they really might not use it when they are distracted. This is dangerous for other drivers on the road because they will not be able to properly gauge their actions based on what the distracted driver is doing.
If you do see someone who is driving distracted, you can try to pull away from them or slow down, so they are not close by. You can also call 911, to prevent a real accident. If you are a passenger in a vehicle where the driving is not following safe driving rules, it is your duty to help them.
Has a distracted driver caused you to be in an accident? You deserve to be compensated fairly after a collision. The attorneys at Flickinger Boulton Robson Weeks have experience with all sorts of cases, and they can support you during your case. Call into the office at (801)-500-4000 for a free consultation at one of our two locations.
