
Baton Rouge Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer
Serving the Baton Rouge Metro Area
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Distracted driving is a serious problem in Louisiana. State officials estimate there is a car accident every 3 minutes and 12 seconds. Many of these accidents are primarily caused by distracted driving.
Most people immediately think of texting and driving or smartphone use when they think of distracted driving. Yet, doing things like adjusting the radio, eating, and even conversing with your passenger can also result in dangerous distracted driving collisions.
If you were injured in a distracted driving accident in Louisiana, call our firm today for a free consultation about pursuing the compensation you deserve. We are committed to helping victims of accidents caused by negligent drivers, and we want to help you, too.
Distracted Driving Statistics
An estimated 25% of driving accidents are primarily caused by distracted drivers. Approximately 3,500 people are killed, and 392,000 are injured, many severely, in accidents caused by distracted drivers every year.
Distracted drivers are dangerous. When a driver approaches a hazard, a driver needs to first notice the hazard, process its meaning, make a decision as to how to react, and then physically respond (pressing the brake, swerving, etc.).
The reaction times vary from driver to driver, situation to situation, and how fast the car is moving, but a typical example is given below:
The driver sees the hazard, processes what it is, and makes a decision about what to do.
This takes on average 1.5 seconds while the car travels 120 feet.
The driver hits the brakes. It takes a short but measurable time to depress the brake, and even with the brakes in full engagement, it takes time for the car to stop. In this example, the vehicle travels an additional 130 feet before halting.
In this example, the car traveled almost as far during the response time as it did during the braking time. Let’s say the driver comes around a curve, and a pedestrian is standing in the road 300 feet away. An alert driver can stop and not hit the pedestrian. Distracted drivers have no chance at all.
A typical driver spends 4.5 seconds looking at their phone for every text. A car moving at 45 mph will cover slightly more than 300 feet during this time. The pedestrian in this example would be hit before the texting driver even notices they are there.
Other statistics on distracted driving:
- A driver dialing a phone is 2.8 times more likely to get in an accident.
- A driver talking on a phone is 1.3 times more likely to get in an accident.
- A driver reaching for a phone or adjusting the car’s controls is 1.4 times more likely to get in an accident.
In short, every second counts when you’re driving, and when you’re distracted even for a moment, it could result in a serious injury or fatality.