April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which is a publicity and promotional campaign designed to expand the educational knowledge about the dangers of distracted driving and how to prevent critical accidents. Nearly every injury from a car accident that falls under the umbrella of distracted driving in Philadelphia could have been prevented.
Most vehicle accidents on Philadelphia roads and elsewhere throughout Pennsylvania and the country are caused by human error. Distracted driving is a behavior that could injure others or claim lives. Plenty of legislation has targeted behaviors under distracted driving, but despite this, the activity has still persisted. Some even call distracted driving a deadly pandemic. The fact remains: if you were recently hurt in an accident because of distracted driving in Philadelphia, as an accident victim you must take your future into your own hands to hire the help of an attorney you can trust.
National Safety Council Insight on Distracted Driving
Every single day, distracted driving crashes are caused by dashboard touchscreens, voice commands, smartphones, in-vehicle technologies, and even speaking to passengers. That leads to a hundred injuries and nine fatalities every day according to research from the National Safety Council.
Sadly, far too many studies have documented the serious risks of driving distracted. Despite this, it’s one of the most commonly-seen activities inside cars today. Pulling up to a stoplight and seeing someone checking their email, texting, or even pulling up a playlist on their phone has become commonplace. Many people are overconfident in their ability to stay focused on the road ahead and in looking down at their phone.
The truth is that all it takes is just one second of looking away from the road to end up in a Philadelphia distracted driving accident. As anyone who has lost a loved one in a PA texting while driving accident could tell you, the consequences of this situation could be dire. Trying to move on after a loved one’s life has been claimed is difficult, especially knowing that the accident could have been prevented.
Are Distracted Driving Crashes More Common in Philadelphia?
Research from the Ohio State University found that urbanized areas had the highest rates of vehicle crashes when compared with world counterparts. That means that a distracted driving accident in Philadelphia is something to be aware of. If you have already been injured in a distracted driving accident in Philadelphia, you are not alone.
All of the stop and start traffic in downtown Philadelphia means that a driver should always be focused on the road ahead and watching out for cyclists and pedestrians.
Are Certain Drivers More Likely to Engage in Distracted Driving?
Unfortunately, distracted driving behavior persists throughout different age categories. However, some studies have found that teenagers are the most responsible for deaths. Teenage drivers are more likely to have other passengers in the car, have less driving experience, and engage in more risky behavior. The rampant use of technology across the teenage population also makes it more likely that they’ll be interacting with their phones, radios, GPS or other in-vehicle technology.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Distracted Driving Accidents?
There are many different causes of distracted driving accidents in Philadelphia and around Pennsylvania. The presence of any distracted driver on the road increases everyone’s risk due to:
- Using a cell phone while driving.
- Applying makeup or doing other personal grooming.
- Eating while driving.
- Using a phone while driving.
- Texting while driving.
Even though most people think of texting and driving as primary cause of distracted driving accidents, other behaviors can be just as dangerous.
What Compensation Is Available for Distracted Driving Accidents?
A person who has engaged in distracted driving activity will face consequences for breaking Pennsylvania laws and also possible liability for the damages others sustain as a result of an accident. An experienced Philadelphia distracted driving accident lawyer can help you to recover compensation for:
- Pain and suffering.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Alternate transportation while your vehicle is being repaired.
- Vehicle replacement.
- Medical expenses.
What Are the Pennsylvania Laws for Talking on Your Phone While Driving?
Laws exist in Pennsylvania that restrict cell phone use by drivers. If you drive in the state, it is illegal to text on your phone while driving. An officer who spots you texting while driving can stop and write a ticket for that offense, which does carry a fine. The state’s law makes it a primary offense; meaning that the officer does not have to have any other reason to pull you over beside from spotting you texting and driving. Any interactive wireless communication device that is used to send, read or write a text based communication while the vehicle is in motion could meet the grounds for an officer to pull you over.
An IWCD is a personal digital assistant, wireless phone, smart phone, mobile computer or other device that can be used for instant messaging, browsing the internet or emailing.
A $50 fine could apply for convictions under this section. Although the violation carries no penalty points and is not recorded on the driver’s record for a non-commercial driver, anyone with a commercial driver’s license will see that show up on their record as a non-sanctioned violation.
Does A Few Seconds Really Matter?
Evidence indicates that drivers whose attention is pulled away from the task of driving and seeing what’s coming for longer than two seconds at a time is at an increased risk of a crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Even though all drivers can be distracted and could cause an accident, younger drivers are at the greatest risk of being hurt in an accident due to their delayed response time and lack of experienced driving. A Philadelphia distracted driving accident lawyer can tell you more about what to anticipate if you are hurt in an accident. You could be eligible to pursue a lawsuit against the responsible party if this applies to you.
Have Distracted Driving Citations Made A Difference in Pennsylvania?
According to data released by the administrative office of Pennsylvania courts, distracted driving citations in Pennsylvania increased dramatically for the five years, ending in December 2017. During that time, the 67 counties throughout the Commonwealth handed out more than 5,000 citations for four different offenses related to texting.
That was a 51% percent jump in 2017 from the year prior. Montgomery County, Allegheny County, and Philadelphia made up the top three percentage points of the total number of citations issued across five years. Many of the citations were given in the month of May, which immediately follows distracted driving awareness month. The vast majority of these distracted driving citations in Pennsylvania were given out between 8am and noon.
Have you been injured by a distracted driver?
If you or a loved one has been injured by a distracted driver, we can help you find the best doctors and physical therapists to aid in your recovery, document your injury, and manage the legal aspect of your personal injury claim.
What you do after your accident is critical to your case.
What you do and say immediately following your accident is critical to your injury claim. Sometimes accident victims think that they are not seriously injured immediately after an accident. They have some aches and pains but think that they will resolve. They make statements to the insurance adjusters. Then, when a few weeks go by and the aches and pains have not resolved, they begin to realize they may have a more serious injury. Their previous statements may prove damaging to their injury claim. Therefore, it is critical to preserve a personal injury claim for accident victims in the days and weeks following an accident.
Fox Law offers a free consultation and 2 weeks of free legal advice.
Fox Law offers an extended consultation and legal guidance for 2 weeks following an accident. We do this to help you preserve your claim should you determine that you are more injured than you initially thought. If you have questions regarding a personal injury claim, call us today at 215-568-6868. We will advise and guide you in the days and weeks immediately following your accident, no obligation.