NATIONAL DISTRACTED DRIVING AWARENESS MONTH

While the 20th century witnessed America’s great love affair with the car, in this century her object of affection has become the cell phone. While there are an estimated 150 million cars on U.S. roads, the country is believed to have about 330 million cell phones. Like oil and water, the incidence of car accidents suggests that the two do not mix well.

Different Tactics

The month of April has been designated National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. It is an initiative aimed at deterring motorists from using cell phones while driving, an act that accounts for a staggering 1.6 million car crashes or roughly 28 percent of all auto accidents in the country. These are directly caused by people texting or using handheld or hands-free cell phones while driving. The April initiative is a joint effort by the National Safety Council and FocusDriven – Advocates for Cell-Free Driving. Both organizations urge drivers to stop using cell phones while driving during April and beyond. Drivers are encouraged to put their cell phones in the glove compartments or trunk or their car and turn them off to avoid having to battle the temptation of answering a ringing phone, e-mail, or text message. Drivers are urged to change their existing voicemail greeting to warn callers that they might be driving, hence, that is why they are not picking up.

Remain Focused

Many drivers view driving, especially in known environments, as a simple, routine task which calls for minimal attention. In fact quite the reverse is true and you are required to be fully focused whenever you are behind the wheel to avoid an auto accident. If you are stuck in traffic though, going 3mph, if you must use your cell phone, then that is a different matter entirely.

A Consummate Professional

Nonetheless, car accidents do occur, a statistic that is vastly increased by cell phone users while driving. If you are ever involved in an automobile accident you should immediately contact an auto accident lawyer. There could be implications relating to personal injury to yourself, your passengers, or those in the other vehicle. These could have far-reaching consequences which you might not be aware of. A car accident lawyer knows precisely what the stakes are and is best placed to protect your interests.