One in Four Traffic Accidents in Utah Caused By Distracted Drivers

Salt Lake City, UT- Chances are you’ve seen a motorist driving erratically, the one who seems to have forgotten that they are driving and wondered: “What the heck is that person doing?” “Why are they all over the road?” “Are they going to hit someone?” Only to learn that the driver is too busy talking on their cell or reading a text to pay attention to the road. And, sadly, that distracted or inattentive driver is likely to cause a severe collision and you or someone else is hurt.
In 2013, distracted diving killed 17 people and caused nearly 2,000 injuries, according to the Utah Department of Transportation. If you happen to the victim of a distracted diver, USAttorneys urges you to contact an accident lawyer in Salt Lake City, Utah to discuss what compensation you may be entitled to for you injuries or loss of a loved one.
Additional data from the Utah DOT shows that distracted driving causes 1 out of every 4 traffic accidents in the state. That is an alarming number of completely preventable traffic accidents. In Utah, as for the entire U.S., cells phones are the greatest source of driver distraction but there are plenty of others. After analysis of three different distracted driving studies, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that during day hours at least 660,000 drivers were using their cell phones to talk, text, email, check social media or take driving selfies.
Eating, changing the radio, looking at a navigation system or talking to a passenger all take your attention off the road and focus it on something other than driving. In Utah, the second greatest source of driver distraction is passengers. Almost all of those tasks require you to divide your attention and take your eyes off of the road for long enough for a car to come to an abrupt stop or for a pedestrian to step into the road.
According to the NHTSA, it takes an average of 4.6 seconds for a motorists to read a text. In that brief period of time, a motorist traveling at 55 mph goes a distance of 120 yards (the length of a football field), long distance to be essentially driving blind. According to the Utah DOT, if driving distracted you are as dangerous as a driver with a blood alcohol concentration that is twice the legal limit.
We’ve all been a distracted driver at one point in time but that doesn’t make it right. Distracted driving is a great danger to others which is why there has to be accountability when an accident occurs. Our team of accident lawyers serving Utah will make certain that if you are hurt, the driver who caused your pain takes responsibility for the harm they’ve caused. These devoted attorneys understand the pain and suffering a traffic accident causes and aggressively pursue a just settlement from the at-fault party. Let is connect you with lawyer today so you can get the information you need.