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Long Beach Distracted Driver Accident Attorneys

What To Do If You Have Been Injured By a Distracted Driver in Long Beach

Though you may not realize it, distracted driving is one of the most underreported traffic incidents. If a distracted driver is involved in an accident and knows he or she is at fault, it is most unlikely that the culprit will report the fact to the officer documenting the incident. This means that many more people could be harmed in distracted driving crashes than the statistics show.

If you have been injured as a result of negligence on the part of a distracted truck driver in Long Beach, you have the legal right to be compensated for your injuries. At the Law Firm of Joseph H. Low IV, we firmly believe that distracted drivers should be held responsible for their actions. Contact our Long Beach car accident attorneys at (562) 901-0840 or toll-free at (888) 454-5569 so we can help you get the compensation you deserve.

The Dangers of Distracted Driving in Long Beach

Every day in the U.S. more than nine people are killed and more than 1,100 people are injured due to accidents reportedly caused by a distracted driver. A driver becomes distracted when he or she does something that takes attention from driving, such as:

Taking their eyes off the road.
Taking their hands off the wheel.
Not concentrating on driving.

The dangers of distracted driving are not to be underestimated. It is dangerous not only for the driver of the vehicle, but also for the passengers, other drivers on the road, and their passengers and pedestrians. Here are some of the most common causes of distracted driving:

Texting
Using a cell phone
Looking at a GPS
Eating or drinking
Reading
Grooming
Adjusting the music system
Watching a video

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Utah showed that driving while talking on a cell phone increases the risk of an accident fourfold, which is about the same chance of causing a wreck if you were driving under the influence of alcohol. That same risk doubles if you are texting while driving.

A driver who is sending or receiving a text is usually distracted for around five seconds. Taking into consideration highway speed limits, that means the car is out of the driver’s control for at least 300 feet. That is plenty of time to cause a serious accident.

What Are Different Types Of Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is when an activity or action diverts a person’s attention away from the driving in a safe manner. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, there are three primary types of driving distractions: visual, manual and cognitive.

Visual Distractions: visual driving distractions are diversions that cause drivers to take their eyes off the road. Examples include activities such as checking your GPS or navigation system, looking to see what song is playing on the radio, searching for mirror or temperature controls, and searching for lost items on the floor of your vehicle.
Manual Distractions: manual distractions are defined as interruptions that cause drives to take their hands off the steering wheel and leading them to drive in a negligent manner. Examples of this include eating, drinking, smoking, checking a phone, adjusting the radio or setting a destination in a vehicle’s in-dash navigation system.
Cognitive Distractions: cognitive distractions take a driver’s focus and concentration away from the road in front of them. This could be anything from talking to other passengers in the vehicle, road rage, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Stress and drowsiness are also considered leading factors for cognitive distraction while driving.

How California Combats Reckless Driving

The Golden State has a number of laws in place to help prevent distracted driving. These include:

A ban on hand-held cell phone use for drivers of all ages. (Primary law)
A ban an on both hand-held and hands-free cell phone use for any drivers under the age of 18. (Secondary law)
A ban on both hand-held and hands-free cell phone for all bus drivers.
A complete ban on texting for drivers of any age.

A primary law is one that allows the officer to stop a vehicle, whereas under secondary laws, an officer must have another reason to stop a vehicle before citing a driver for using a cellphone.

Drivers Are Not Taking Distracted Driving Seriously

Studies show that, although vehicle owners recognize when other drivers are behaving irresponsibly, they find it easy to make excuses for their own distracted driving. A survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, revealed that more than 90 percent of drivers said it was reprehensible for drivers to email or text while driving. Yet, 35 percent of the same drivers disclosed that they had sent or read a text message while driving during the previous month. Correspondingly, more than 65 percent of the respondents said they had been talking on a cell phone while driving, even though 88 percent believed it was dangerous.

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- M.D.