Distracted driving is becoming a major factor in motor vehicle accidents in Georgia and across the country. According to data from the National Safety Council, an estimated 9 people die every day and 100 are injured because of accidents that were caused by distracted driving. Cellphones, voice commands, dashboard touchscreens and other in-vehicle technologies can easily distract drivers.
Experts say that distracted driving is becoming more of a factor in car accidents than drugs or alcohol. Distracted driving is especially a concern when it comes to commercial drivers. In 2016, almost 180 accidents in Georgia involved a large commercial vehicle. Though hands-free technology can help keep commercial drivers focused on the road, it still requires drivers to look away from the road briefly. Even small periods of distracted driving can cause accidents that may lead to personal injury and death.
In order to combat distracted driving, experts recommend utilizing a driver scoring program. Attaching rewards to safe driving and encouraging competition between drivers to score high can help increase awareness on the road. Additionally, the implementation of modern telematics systems in commercial trucks can help. These systems block work orders from being sent to the driver while the vehicle is in transit. This helps keep drivers focused and others on the road safe.
Commercial trucking accidents can have devastating effects on victims. Injuries often lead to costly medical bills, loss of wages, ongoing medical care or death. Commercial drivers who become distracted may have behaved negligently and could be responsible for damages to the injured parties. A personal injury lawyer may be able to look into the details surrounding the accident. For example, a lawyer may be able to determine if a driver was using a phone at the time of the accident or if the vehicle was not equipped with an automatic braking system. In this case, the driver or business behaved negligently and might be responsible for medical and compensatory damages.
