In the state of California, distracted driving is the cause of thousands of truck accidents each year. The at-fault party may be the truck driver or it may be the operator of the second vehicle. No matter who is at fault, a truck accident caused by distracted driving can have devastating consequences.
Across the country, states are taking a strong stance on distracted driving. There are public service campaigns warning drivers of the danger of taking their focus off of the road. There are also several states who have banned the use of cell phones behind the wheel. Unfortunately, cell phones aren’t the only means of distraction. People do many things behind the wheel that can prove distracting, including:
- Eating a meal or drinking a beverage
- Fixing their hair or putting on makeup
- Using a tablet to check social media accounts
- Fiddling with the controls on the vehicle’s music or heating and cooling system
- Fishing for something in their bag or glove box
- Worrying about events that occurred during their day
These are only a few examples of distracted driving. Essentially, anything that takes a person’s focus off of the road ahead could be considered a distraction. Motorists are urged to do one thing and one thing only when they are behind the wheel: drive. Distracted driving is responsible for hundreds of thousands of accidents and thousands of deaths each year. There is nothing so important that it cannot wait until a driver is able to safely pull to the side of the road or, better yet, arrives at their destination.
