Distracted Driving Isn’t Just About Phones
We live in a world of distractions. The trouble is that some distractions are annoying, while others are fun. We tend to use the fun distractions to calm down from the frustrations caused by the annoying distractions. You have probably heard those alarming studies about how the average worker is only productive for about three hours out of an eight-hour workday. Our capitalist overlords might use those studies to justify paying us less, or worse, to justify replacing us with bots, but for anyone who has ever tried to focus and get anything done, the takeaway is something different, namely that distractions are making it hard for us to act on our best intentions. Sure, there are a few people out there who want to antagonize other drivers, but most of us just want to arrive at our destination safely. We take out our anger on the distractions that annoy us the most, the kids who whine or ask us to look at things in the back seat, the driver ahead of us that slowed down at the yellow light that we are convinced we both could have sped through. Legislators blame cell phones, but these are only the most visible source of distracted driving. There are still plenty of hazards to distract us, even with our ostensibly car-safe phones, and even with robust laws restricting dangerous use of devices by drivers. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, contact a South Jersey auto accident lawyer.
Interacting With Your Car’s Allegedly Distraction-Proof Technology Can Be Distracting, Too
In New Jersey, it is against the law to hold your phone to your ear or interact with your phone screen while you are in traffic. This does not prevent most phone notifications from reaching you, because many cars have audiovisual systems that integrate with your phone. Therefore, it is the screen in your car that has taken the role of distracting technological wonder. You might take your eyes off the road when trying to interpret a confusing part of the map as you follow your route while using a navigation app. Text messages can still appear on your screen, and if you click on them, they can still get on your nerves enough to break your concentration.
Distractions That Have Nothing to Do With Technology
Meanwhile, old-fashioned distractions are still plenty distracting. Drivers take their eyes off the road when they reach for items that have fallen. The screen on our cars have only contributed to our habit of multi-tasking, so people are no less likely to eat behind the wheel than they were in the days of enormous, clunky, status symbol car phones. Likewise, attempting to fix your hair or makeup while in traffic can be enough to cause you to make preventable driving mistakes.
Contact Monaco Law About Car Accidents
Contact Monaco Law PC in Marlton, New Jersey to discuss your car accident case. Joseph Monaco is a New Jersey and Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer serving Atlantic County, Burlington County, Cape May County, Camden County, Cumberland County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Ocean County, Salem County and all of South Jersey.
Source:
allstate.com/resources/car-insurance/causes-of-distracted-driving
