The year 2020 was tough on all of us. Because we were stuck at home most of the time, Americans drove less than usual. You would think that would have led to fewer car accidents.
But crashes actually went up in at least one category: wrecks caused by a distracted driver. Distracted driving accidents rose 12 percent in 2020, according to data collected by the website MoneyGeek. Many of these crashes were severe. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that distracted driving collisions killed 3,142 people that year. We are sure that many more survived but were left with catastrophic injuries.
More than cellphones
Most people in northeast Ohio associate distracted driving with texting or talking on the phone behind the wheel. That is indeed one of the most common and dangerous ways for reckless drivers to divide their attention. But almost any activity that takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the steering wheel, or your mind off of traffic counts as a distraction. For example, eating and driving can lead to a serious accident. So can putting on makeup, fixing your hair or turning your head to talk to a passenger in the back seat.
Defying the law, endangering the public
State law bans texting and driving with a handheld phone, but drivers still do it anyway. You never know when you might get caught in the path of someone whose vehicle is out of control because they chose to distract themselves. If this has already happened to you, you could be dealing with painful and debilitating injuries. If so, a personal injury lawsuit could be the way to get compensation for your lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering and other damages.