How Big of a Problem is Distracted Driving in Georgia?

Did you know that in the state of Georgia, distracted driving is responsible for 3% of fatal car accidents? In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were more than 40 fatal crashes that involved confirmed distraction in 2019 and 60 in 2018.

If you're ever in doubt about the dangers of distracted driving, just take a look at these facts.

What is Distracted Driving?

To understand why distracted driving is so dangerous, you first have to understand what constitutes the act. Distracted driving is any activity that takes your attention away from driving.

There are three main types of distracted driving:

• Visual- Averting your eyes from the road to look at something else. (Ex. looking at a phone display, reading a text, email, or message, looking at a billboard, looking at an event, object, or person, outside the vehicle).
• Manual- Taking your hands off the wheel to touch or hold anything while operating the vehicle. (Ex. holding or touching a phone, eating, drinking, or smoking, changing the radio or climate controls, grooming or personal hygiene).
• Cognitive- Thinking about something that occupies your mind. (Ex. conversation, daydreaming, thinking about an argument, worrying about something or someone).

All three of these types can be dangerous.

How Common is Distracted Driving?

In the state of Georgia, distracted driving is a serious problem. In fact, according to a Georgia highway traffic safety study, 56% of all motor vehicle traffic crashes had at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver. It also found that in 2019 there were 65,625 drivers convicted of distracted driving.

If those numbers aren't bad enough to show you that there is a serious distracted driving problem in Georgia, then keep in mind that confirming a distraction as a contributing factor in a collision is difficult. The majority of the time, drivers report their own distractions for non-injury, non-fatal single-occupant accidents, which is likely to be biased. As a result, many distracted driving-related accidents may go unrecorded.

How Dangerous is Distracted Driving

While many people may think that simply looking at their phone quickly or taking a bite of a snack isn't too big of a deal, distracted driving in any form can be hazardous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nine people in the United States are killed every day in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.

While comparatively, Georgia isn't nearly the worst state for fatal accidents stemming from distracted driving, there were still 44 fatal crashes in 2019, with 81% of them occurring at non-intersections. Distracted driving was also responsible for 46% of the 7,308 serious injury crashes that happened that year.

A Team You Can Count On

If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident with a distracted driver, the team at Goldstein Hayes & Lina, LLC has got your back! Our experienced attorneys have won numerous professional awards and secured more than $400 million in compensation for our clients. Contact us today to learn more about filing an injury claim.