The Barnes Firm

Distractions Behind Surge in Crashes

• September 26, 2017
• Sandy

LOS ANGELES – If you text, browse the web, talk to passengers, read, or even use a navigation system while driving, you’re considered a dangerous driver.

Those are just a few of the most common distractions outlined by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to transportation officials, those same distractions are major factors that contributed to a sudden rise in the number of traffic deaths.

After years of progress, the number of fatal car crashes spiked last year by 7.2 percent. The outlook for 2016 isn’t any better. Through the first six months of the year, deadly crashes went up by over 10 percent.

A Los Angeles car accident lawyer at The Barnes Firm says the increase is due, in part, to more crashes in urban areas where traffic congestion is getting worse.

“We all know how busy the roads and highways are during rush hour in Los Angeles,” car accident attorney John Sheehan said. “The stop and go traffic in particular can quickly become deadly when drivers are distracted by something else like a smartphone.”

Federal statistics show that fatal collisions actually dropped in rural areas: Alaska has enjoyed an 11.3 percent drop. Minnesota and North Dakota also enjoyed safer roads with 10.7 percent and 9.7 percent drops, respectively.

The national spike is most noticeable in urbanized states like Florida, Georgia and Nevada, all of which experienced more than a 9 percent spike in deadly car crashes.

Los Angeles car accident lawyers say these crashes can often be traced back to distractions.

“When traffic slows down due to congestion, many drivers get bored and pick up their handheld devices to text or use an app,” Sheehan said. “These are dangerous habits drivers need to be aware of.”

A study by True Motion found that the 10 most distracting phone apps don’t necessarily involve texting and in many cases, some drivers are even more distracted than you might expect:

10. Netflix. In the study that analyzed usage habits of nearly 300 drivers, some were caught watching movies or shows while behind the wheel.

9. Pandora. Music and cars have complimented each other for over 50 years but skipping ahead to your favorite song can take your eyes – and your mind – off the road.

8. Chrome. The popular web browser can provide users answers to many questions – but it can also take a driver’s attention away from their main task: driving.

7. Amazon Music. Yes, some drivers were found to not only be skipping to their favorite songs; some were purchasing songs behind the wheel.

6. Waze. This popular app helps drivers navigate around hazards on city streets but it relies on user input – and in many cases, it’s the driver inputting information.

5. YouTube. Aside from watching movies and shows, drivers are also addicted to watching clips on YouTube – and it puts their safety at risk.

4. Facebook. The driver’s seat isn’t the place or time to be updating your status but it happens too often. Almost as often as:

3. Texting. It’s estimated that 71 percent of all drivers have sent text messages behind the wheel. If that’s not concerning, check out number 2:

2. Pokemon Go. This handheld game often requires your complete focus and attention on the smartphone screen. Since its Summer 2016 release, dozens of crashes have been linked to this app.

1. Maps. Perhaps this is obvious: drivers have places to go. Unfortunately, many of them don’t input their directions before putting the car in drive. Although it may only take a few seconds to find your destination on your GPS device, this distraction has been linked to thousands of accidents.

If you’ve been injured by a distracted driver, the Los Angeles car accident lawyers at The Barnes Firm will do what it takes to get you the best result possible. A The Barnes Firm crash investigator can analyze all the possible distractions and collect evidence including cell phone records and app usage rates to help clients maximize their case values.

Contact a Los Angeles car accident lawyer today to get started on a free consultation.

The Barnes Firm 1-(800) 800-0000