Hands-Free Chatting Is Risk-Free Driving, Right?
Driving is no longer a solitary activity. These days, there are so many things to do while you are behind the wheel that navigating your vehicle might seem a secondary pursuit.
Text messages, GPS, putting on makeup, sipping coffee – these are all everyday distractions that threaten to divert your attention from the road. The problem is, distractions can be deadly: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, an estimated 431,000 people were injured in accidents involving distracted drivers in 2014 – and 3,179 were killed.
The Centers Disease Control and Prevention catalogs common distractions into these three categories:
- Visual distractions, such as phones or GPS systems;
- Manual distractions, including in-car entertainment systems;
- And cognitive distractions, such as phone calls that take your mind off driving.
If you were involved in an accident with a distracted driver in Nebraska, contact a personal-injury attorney from Rensch & Rensch Law. Our Omaha accident lawyers have more than 45 years of combined legal experience
Call 1-800-471-4100 to schedule a free initial consultation. You can learn more about car accident injury lawsuits by visiting USAttorneys.com
Let’s take a closer look at the dangers of hands-free driving:
Dangers of Hands-Free Driving
Bluetooth-enabled hands-free car kits are designed to give you the freedom to answer calls while driving, in a way that won’t require you to take your hands off the wheel. However, operating the steering wheel is just one of many important factors behind safe driving – and answering calls is just one way in which drivers become distracted.
A 2015 survey by AT&T found that more people drive while distracted than ever before – yet, fewer motorists actually admit to making phone calls. While 7 in 10 people confess to using their smartphones while driving, 61 percent of them admitted to texting while driving, 33 percent said they email and 27 percent said they browse social media.
Make no mistake: Answering calls while driving is as dangerous as it’s ever been – but the number of accessible activities on your smartphone add up to more opportunities to become distracted. The National Safety Council warns that using a phone can reduce your capacity to see and perceive danger while driving – for instance, drivers can miss up to half of what is happening outside the car while speaking on any kind of phone.
The single most dangerous distraction is something that takes your mind off the task of driving. A conversation with someone outside the car, whether it’s over a hands-free phone kit or by means of an email, can take your mind off the road long enough to cause a serious crash.
Were you hurt in a wreck with a distracted driver? You may be entitled to compensation for lost income, medical expenses and non-economic damages.
Contact an accident lawyer from Rensch & Rensch Law to discuss your case. Our attorneys have litigated more than 100 jury trials. Call 1-800-471-4100 to schedule a free initial consultation with an Omaha personal-injury attorney.
