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Distracted Driving: Causing Accidents Every Day

8/16/2016

Distracted driving causes close to 40 percent of all accidents on the road today. Since the report in 2010, distracted-driving laws have been passed in many states around the country, and most will penalize drivers who aren’t paying attention to the road, who are texting while driving or who are participating in reckless driving activities. If you’re hit by someone who is behind the wheel of a truck and distracted, the results can be devastating. That’s why it’s so important to file a claim after a crash; you deserve the compensation to cover your needs now and in the future.

Distracted Driving in Teens and Elders

In 2010, a pair of studies completed by the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company showed that out of 1,000 respondents, four in 10 reported nearly being hit or being hit by people who were distracted by technology, like cellphones. Those who claimed they were nearly hit were usually over 55 years old, and more incidents were reported in the South and Western states rather than the East and Midwest.

Driving Behaviors

When the people involved in the study were asked about their behaviors on their phones while driving, 32 percent referred to using their phones for GPS while on the road. Another 18 percent were checking their emails, while 10 percent were actually sending emails. A somewhat low number of people reported using their phones for texting at 21 percent.

In fact, even though eight in 10 drivers claim they’ve never texted behind the wheel, the numbers are slightly skewed. It was mostly those over 55 who claimed not to text and drive; around 97 percent of those over 55 said texting and driving was not something they’d do. For those under 35, only 53 percent could say the same.

Source: Automotive Fleet, “Distracted Driving Causes Nearly 40% of Accidents,” Brittany-Marie Swanson, accessed Aug. 16, 2016

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