There is no shortage of reasons why thousands of car accidents occur in America each year, with Georgia included in the sobering statistics. Each year thousands of people lose their lives in car accidents, or they lose loved ones. Others will suffer serious, life-altering injuries. These days, the focus is usually on one cause above all others: distracted driving.
Distracted driving in America
Understanding and hopefully avoiding distracted driving could help to save countless lives each year from serious injuries and months or even years of medical rehabilitation and therapy. Distracted driving is such a huge problem in America that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics estimate that every day approximately eight people die in America from motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers.
The CDC points to three different forms of distracted driving:
- Cognitive distraction occurs when a driver is not focused on the task of driving because of thoughts of other matters – mental distraction.
- Manual distraction occurs when drivers take their hands off the wheel and do something else while driving, such as, for example, eating, putting on makeup or adjusting the radio.
- Lastly, visual distraction occurs when drivers take their eyes off of the road. This might include simple daydreaming, or could be combined with manual distractions such as looking at a cellphone to send a text message.
When Georgia residents are injured in car accidents that were caused by distracted drivers, they may have legal options to consider. Pursuing a personal injury lawsuit could result in an award of financial compensation that could help pay medical bills and other expenses that typically arise in the aftermath of serious car accidents in Georgia.