How to Identify a Distracted Driver on the Road

If you were driving and a passenger dared you to close your eyes until the vehicle had passed a sign that was roughly 120 yards away, would you do it? Hopefully the answer is no, but the sad reality is people all over the country drive at least that far without looking on a regular basis.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 660,000 motorists are using a cellphone while behind the wheel at any given moment during the day. Since reading or sending a text message takes a driver’s eyes off the road for about five seconds, that means those who are traveling at 55 mph will cover the length of an entire football field without looking.

Sadly, even if you make a conscious effort to stow your phone every time you get behind the wheel, there is no guarantee that the motorists around you have done the same. If you were hurt in a collision with a distracted driver, turn to Amanda Hall Injury Law.

For more than 28 years, our legal team has been building a strong reputation litigating complex, high-value personal injury and wrongful death cases. Call 678-445-7423 to schedule a free consultation with a personal injury attorney in Kennesaw.

How to Identify a Distracted Driver on the Road In some circumstances, it is not possible to identify a distracted driver with enough time to make an evasive maneuver and avoid a collision. In certain cases, though, you may be able to avoid a devastating wreck if you know the common signs of distracted driving and keep an eye out for them in traffic.

There are three categories of driving distractions, and each can inhibit your ability to operate a motor vehicle in a different way. For example, manual distractions, or those that take your hands off the wheel, can make it virtually impossible to stay in the proper lane and thus cause drifting and swerving.

Visual distractions, on the other hand, are those that take your eyes off the road, like checking on passengers in the backseat or glancing at the navigation system. These kinds of distractions reduce reaction time considerably and increase the chances of causing a rear-end collision. Signs that a motorist is not looking where he or she should be include tailgating, missing traffic signals, and drifting out of the lane.

Cognitive distractions are a fairly broad category and include anything that takes your focus off the traffic around you. According to the National Safety Council, inattention blindness is a kind of tunnel vision that people can experience when they are not paying attention to the road. Signs of inattention behind the wheel include ignoring traffic signals, failing to respond to obvious hazards, and speeding or slowing down for no apparent reason.

If you spot a motorist exhibiting signs of distracted driving, it is wise to keep your distance. Depending on how erratic the behavior is, you may also want to pull over and report the vehicle to local authorities.

Although keeping an eye out for reckless motorists can reduce the chances of getting into a collision, some wrecks seemingly come out of nowhere. If you sustained serious injuries in an accident that you could not have prevented—but someone else could have—turn to Amanda Hall Injury Law.

Our office is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because of the urgent nature of our clients’ claims. Contact us online or call 678-445-7423 to schedule a free case evaluation with a personal injury lawyer in Kennesaw. You can learn more about car accident claims in Georgia by visiting USAttorneys.com.