Picking up from where When Driver Negligence Causes Car Accidents: What You Need to Know (Pt. 1) left off, below we will continue our discussion of how driver negligence contributes to car accidents and what victims should know about their rights in these cases.
Distracted driving and driving while fatigued are two common forms of driver negligence that commonly contribute to car accidents, injuries and deaths.
Many motorists regularly divert their attention away from the road and the task of driving, as they may want to try to multitask while they are behind the wheel. Research has shown, however, that:
While any number of actions – like for instance eating or using GPS – can result in driver distraction, the use of cellphones and other handheld mobile devices has been the most common and problematic cause of distracted driving-related accidents over the past five or so years.
In fact, according to data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Safety Council (NSC):
When distracted driving is found to have contributed to a car accident, the distracted driver can be held responsible for compensating accident victims for their injuries and losses.
Although driving while fatigued is more of a problem among commercial drivers (like truck drivers), it can also be a danger for the motorists operating passenger vehicles, especially if these drivers are traveling long distances. Regardless of who is driving while fatigued and why they are doing it, researchers have found that this negligent practice can be as dangerous as drunk driving.
In fact, the findings are that, when motorists try to drive after being awake for at least 24 consecutive hours, their level impairment is generally similar to that of people who have blood alcohol concentrations of 0.10, which is well above the legal limit of 0.08.
When driving while fatigued is a factor in causing car accidents, the negligent drivers can be on the hook for compensating accident victims.
Be sure to look for the upcoming conclusion to this blog!
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