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Did you know that more than 3,300 people in the U.S. died in 2012 as the result of distracted driving? Every one of those fatalities could have been prevented had the at fault driver chosen to focus on the road rather than allow distractions to take control of the vehicle. Don’t let your loved ones become the next victim of this growing epidemic. This month do your part in keeping your family safe while on the road.
The National Safety Council has devoted the entire month of April to raising national awareness of the dangers of driving while distracted. National Distracted Driving Awareness Month is an effort to help reduce the number of auto accidents in Maryland and throughout the nation that occur when drivers attempt to multi-task while behind the wheel. In addition to those who died in distracted driving crashes in 2012, another 421,000 were injured that year in similar wrecks that were attributed to distracted driving.
Distractions That Contribute Distracted Driving
Some of the top distractions that contribute to serious injury or death in a Maryland auto accident include all of the following:
- Texting
- Talking on a cell phone (handheld or hands-free)
- Using a smartphone for any other reason (such as checking email, news or weather or conducting Internet searches)
- Watching a video
- Using a navigation system
- Adjusting the radio, CD player or MP3 player
- Eating or drinking
- Grooming
- Reading, including a map
- Talking to passengers
With the prevalence of smartphones and other multi-media devices, cell phone use in particular is quickly becoming the top driver distraction. The best way to keep your family safe while on the road this month is simply to put down your phone while behind the wheel. Check out the NSC distracted driving page for additional information. We encourage you to contact us directly to request a free consultation with our skilled Maryland car crash lawyers if you’ve already been victim of a distracted driving crash.