Distracted Driving in Texas | Houston Car Accident Attorney

Many distractions can interfere with a driver’s ability to navigate the roadway safely. Anything that interferes with a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle in a safe way is a distraction. Driving safely requires you to keep your eyes on the road, your mind focused on driving, and your hands on the steering wheel.

What Behaviors Cause Distracted Driving

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study, almost 6,000 people died in 2008 in accidents involving some form of distracted driving. There are three ways a driver can become distracted: visually, cognitively, and manually. Distracted driving can occur when a driver becomes distracted in one or more of these ways.

A study by the NHTSA and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute revealed that 80 percent of car accidents involved some sort of distraction that occurred within three seconds of the collision. The study identified the following actions as causes of distracted-driving accidents:

• Use of a cell phone: Many studies have identified the use of a cell phone as a distraction that significantly hampers a driver’s ability to concentrate on driving. This is true even when a driver uses a hands-free device.
• Reaching for a moving object inside the vehicle: Many drivers become distracted by trying to adjust something inside the vehicle, such as a temperature control or navigation system, or by checking e-mail or voice-mail.
• Looking at something outside the vehicle: Being distracted by something outside the vehicle—such as an accident, construction work, or another vehicle pulled over on the side of the road—can take a driver’s focus off the road.
• Reading: Reading a book, map, newspaper, or e-mail can occupy a driver’s mind and impair their view of the road, and it can cause them to take their hands off the steering wheel.
• Putting on makeup: Applying makeup forces a driver to take their eyes off the road, their hands off the steering wheel, and their mind off driving.

These are the most common types of distracted driving that cause accidents, but drivers can also become distracted by watching a video or talking to passengers. Distracted driving occurs more frequently in accidents involving drivers under the age of 20.

How Denena & Points Can Help

If you or a loved one have been injured in a Texas distracted-driving accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries or compensation for the wrongful death of a loved one. A Houston car-accident attorney at Denena & Points will work hard on your behalf to recover the maximum amount of damages available. Contact Denena & Points at 713-807-9500 or 877-307-9500 for an evaluation of your case.