According to the NHTSA, in 2012 in the United States, 3,331 people were killed and 387,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.
“Every time someone takes their eyes or their focus off the road – even for just a few seconds – they put their lives and the lives of others in danger,” said Colonel Paul A. Pride, Patrol Superintendent. “Distracted driving is unsafe, irresponsible and in a split second, its consequences can be devastating. Remember – Stay Alive, Don’t Text and Drive.”
The Patrol will be focusing on crash causing violations that may be caused by distracted driving, including; aggressive driving, marked lanes violations, following too closely and driving left of center. They will also be enforcing Ohio’s texting and driving law.
Sending or receiving a text message takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent, at 55 mph, of driving the length of an entire football field. Drivers caught texting while driving could find themselves in trouble being fined or having their license suspended. Drivers may require SR22 insurance from a company similar to Insured ASAP in order to have their license reinstated.
Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increases the risk of crashing. Distractions can be Visual – taking eyes off of the road; Manual – taking hands off the wheel; or Cognitive – taking the mind off driving. Texting while driving is an example that results in all three types of distraction. These distractions are what can cause a car accident. Now this accident might only result in a small bump, but it could be a lot worse (e.g. causing the death of someone). If you’ve been in a car accident due to a driver being distracted then it might be a good idea to get yourself a lawyer (such as these Ft. Lauderdale Car Accident attorneys) and file a lawsuit. If you suffered an injury or your car was damage then this might help you out a lot.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Ohio State Highway Patrol have joined 10TV’s Maria’s Message, discouraging distracted driving. For more information on Maria’s Message, visit http://www.10tv.com/content/embeds/2014/02/marias-message.html