Driving requires a lot of focus. Any action that diverts your attention from the road is considered distracted driving. Distracted driving is a major cause of accidents and contributes to about 3,100 fatalities and over 400,000 injuries in the United States each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
According to the California Office of Road Safety, 80% of road accidents happen – at least, in part – to driver distraction, and the primary source of distraction is talking or texting on a mobile phone. You can’t drive safely if you’re not giving it your whole focus. Any activity you do while operating a vehicle poses a risk of distraction and raises the possibility of an accident occurring.
Examples of distracted driving
The state of California has banned handheld cell phone use while driving. This means that talking while holding a phone or texting is against the law. However, you should be aware of other types of distracted driving before you get behind the wheel as well. These include:
- Eating or drinking
- Applying makeup
- Reading
- Smoking
- Selecting radio stations
While you cannot completely control the distractions around you, there are ways to reduce the risk that you’ll be involved in a crash while distracted:
- Avoid multitasking when operating a vehicle. Your focus should solely be on the road.
- Wait until you have securely parked before responding to any text messages or phone calls.
- If you are a passenger in a car with a driver who is on the phone, please speak up and remind the driver that using a phone while operating a vehicle is unsafe.
You need to be attentive behind the wheel to drive safely in San Francisco. You’ll be using your brakes a lot to start and stop as well as climb the city’s famous steep slopes. You also need to watch out for hidden side streets, pedestrians and bike riders.
Should you, despite your best efforts, be involved in an accident due to another’s distracted driving behavior, seek assistance when pursuing compensation so that you can focus on healing while your team works to maximize your award.