Distracted Driving Is A Common Cause Of Rear-End Crashes

I Was Injured in a Car Accident. What Lawyer Do I Call?

If you’ve been in a car accident, contact our Maryland personal injury lawyers at Alpert Schreyer, LLC for a free consultation 24/7 by calling us at (301) 720-1309 or filling out our online form. During your consultation we will:

• Review the facts and evidence, including:
  • The date, time, and location of the accident
  • Cause of the accident
  • All parties involved, and whether any witnesses were present
  • The police report
  • Photos, videos, or other evidence of the scene
  • The extent of your injuries and symptoms, medical treatment received, and any future treatment recommendations
  • Time missed from work, lost income, and any future lost income
  • The impact of the injuries on your daily life and activities
  • Actions or negligence by the other party that may have led to the incident
  • Deadlines that could affect your right to file a claim
  • Determine if another party is at-fault and if you have a strong case.
  • Discuss the next steps for your claim

Analysis of the Data

Using cell phones, eating and drinking, and interacting with an in-vehicle system all increase the odds of a crash. The NHTSA reports that about 87 percent of rear-end crashes take place because the driver in the car following the lead vehicle is distracted. Talking or listening on a cell phone while driving is one of the top distracting activities.

Only a few seconds of distracted driving may cause a driver to miss a vehicle slowing down or braking. The following most common distractions cause drivers to rear-end other vehicles:

• Eating and drinking
• Reading a GPS
• Texting
• Talking on a cell phone
• Looking at instrument panels
• Interacting with passengers

Merely putting down cell phones and switching to hands-free devices won’t significantly alleviate the distraction issue. The crux of the problem is related to the attention span and focus of the driver—the more tethered the attention span, the higher the rate of collision.

Data collected from more than 3,000 drivers suggests that crash risk increased by five times or more when drivers manipulated a cell phone compared with undistracted drivers. Statistical analyses that aggregated the results of 33 studies in one analysis and 23 studies in another reported significant delays in drivers’ reaction times and thereby increased the chance of rear-end crashes.

Methods to Reduce Crash Risks Related to Distracted Driving

Crash avoidance technology is perhaps the most promising avenue for reducing car risks caused by any type of distraction. Data suggests that these technologies can help prevent or mitigate rear-end crashes by specifically redirecting the distracted driver’s attention back to the road via, for example, a voice-activated system.