Every day in the US, at least 9 people die and over 1,100 are severely injured in motor vehicle accidents that are caused by a distracted driver. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a distracted driver as one who is driving while carrying out at least one other activity that takes the driver’s attention away from the task of operating the motor vehicle safely. Needless to say, distracted driving significantly increases the possibility of a car crash.

There are essentially three kinds of distractions associated with driving.

• Visual distractions that take the driver’s eyes off the road;
• Manual distractions that take the drivers hands off of the steering wheel;
• Cognitive distractions that take the driver’s mind off of the individual tasks of driving and off of driving overall.

There are a number of activities that qualify as distractions for a driver such as eating, putting on makeup, talking on a cell phone, and, arguably the most dangerous distraction, texting on a cell phone. Texting is particularly dangerous because it is one of the only distractions that combines all three distraction types. There were more than 3,300 people killed in car crashes that involved a distracted driver in 2012. The same year there were over 420,000 people severely injured in distracted driving crashes and in 2011, fully 17 percent of all car crashes in the US involved a distracted driver.

If you have been injured in a serious car accident with a distracted driver, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help.

According to the most recent biannual government study overseen by the Centers for Disease Control, American teenagers are texting while driving more than ever before. The study, which looks at worrisome behavior among teens, was first conducted in 1991 and has been conducted every two years ever since. While it was found that other dangerous or reckless behaviors such as weapons and drug use has decreased in recent years, texting and sending emails while driving is conversely on the rise.

Interestingly, teens are actually wearing seat belts and bike helmets more frequently than ever before which is somewhat ironic considering that they are texting behind the wheel in greater and greater numbers. This most recent study looked at 13,000 United States high school students and conducted the behavioral survey on a voluntary basis, required parental permission, and ensured anonymous responses.

The study found that fully 41 percent of teens surveyed had texted or emailed while driving during the previous month, with the lowest percentage (32%) being found in Massachusetts and the highest number (61%) being found in South Dakota. The figures couldn’t be compared to the previous study conducted in 2011, however, because according to the CDC, the questions contained in the latest survey were different.

If you have been injured in a serious vehicle accident involving a distracted driver  in East Haven or another part of Connecticut, and would like to best possible attorney team to work on your case, please immediately call Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP –(888) 244-5480. We are here to help

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  Police departments and safety professionals across the country are teaming up to help spread the word about dangers of distracted driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is giving grants to police departments across the country as part of its participation in the National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  The purpose of the awareness drive is to call the public’s attention to the hazards involved in distracted driving, in an effort to reduce auto accidents, injuries, and fatalities on the nation’s roads.

As part of the Awareness Month the NHTSA will expand a program, which was piloted in Connecticut, called “Phone in One Hand. Ticket in the Other.” The program which ran from 2010 until 2013, is now being rolled out in other states.  According to the NHTSA the program was a success, seeing decreases in not only texting while driving but also in general cell phone use among drivers.  The next phase of the program will be called “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.”

New Haven authorities are expected to participate in the National Distracted Driving Awareness Month by cracking down on distracted driving while educating the public on the dangers of the practice.

The East Haven accident attorneys of Hastings, Cohan, and Walsh, LLP, can be reached at (888) 244-5480 or contact us online today. We are here to help.