Dissecting Known Outside Distractions of Drivers

Distracted driving is considered one of the growing pains of drivers in the United States. Recent studies showed that nearly 10 percent of all fatal crashes were partly due to drivers who were not focused behind the wheel. Such drivers may be distracted, asleep or fatigued, if not “lost in thought.”

According to the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, nearly 284,000 drivers involved in traffic crashes every year were distracted. In the said study, the researchers also found that 29 percent of the time, a driver is likely to get distracted by something or someone outside of the car. Age is one factor why outside distractions dominate over other kinds of distracted driving.

Here are some of the common outside distractions that drivers face on the road:

·         Accidents. An accident scene won’t be as it is if there are no paramedics to tend to the injured, traffic authorities to investigate the accident, and the wreckage itself. When these elements are present, expect that the traffic slows down right beside it. “Rubber-neckers” often pay attention to the scene itself, therefore causing slow movement of traffic.

·         Construction efforts. Road repair or construction, usually causes confusion on passing motorists, so much that some of them tend to become aggressive and try to attempt moving past other drivers to get out of it.

·         Pedestrian conduct. Drivers must be aware of pedestrians crossing marked or unmarked crosswalks, as the latter have the right-of-way. However, drivers must not pay too much attention to pedestrians who exhibit bizarre or unexpected behavior.

Minimizing distractions help motorists stay focused on their driving. Every driver must always survey the road for any danger, but not too much on something or someone that could be deemed a distraction. Expert litigators such as the Los Angeles vehicle accident lawyer always emphasize the importance of driver safety and the dangers of driver distractions.