Georgia Injury Law Blog
Statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that more than 3500 people were killed in car accidents caused by distracted drivers in 2021. This April, the federal administration plans to raise awareness about the dangers of driving while distracted.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is making the month of April — Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As part of its campaign, the agency released statistics which show that a total of 3,522 people were killed in auto accidents caused by distracted drivers in 2021. The statistics show that an ongoing effort against distracted driving is absolutely necessary. As part of the campaign, there will be increased enforcement on Georgia roads as law enforcement officers look out for persons using cell phones while driving.
The campaign will also focus on friends and families of drivers and their role in helping prevent distracted driving. If you are driving and need to answer a phone call or have to respond to a text message, get your passenger to do so for you. If you are driving alone and need to respond to a text, pull over somewhere safe and return the call or the text message. Under no circumstances should you be typing a message or making a phone call as you drive.
For an entire generation of young drivers, life without cell phones is simply incomprehensible. These are the drivers who struggle the most with not reaching out for their cell phones while driving. If you are one of those drivers who find it difficult not to reach for your cell phone while driving to check a text message or scroll through an app, make sure that your phone is stashed somewhere safe where it is not accessible to you easily. Keep your phone in your glove box or maybe even the backseat of the car.
If you are a passenger, you have a big role to play in ensuring that the person driving your car is doing so safely and responsibly. Speak up and prevent the motorist from answering his cell phone. If it’s possible for you to do so, answer the phone on his behalf. If you see the driver of your car texting while driving, tell them to stop doing so and focus on the road.
Studies have indicated that family members, friends and passengers in the car have a big role to play in preventing motorists from using their cell phones while driving. These actions by passengers in the car or by family members and friends can act as a supplement to awareness and enforcement efforts, thereby helping reduce the number of car accidents caused by distracted drivers.
The Atlanta car crash attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine if you have legal options to a claim for damages. You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other types of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.