Statistics and Injuries due to Distracted Driving

 

Distractions while driving are often fatal. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) there had been about 5, 474 who got killed in vehicle crashes across the United States due to distracted driving in the year 2009. This does not include the 448,000 other individuals who got injured in such accidents. This meant that distracted driving brought around 16 percent of the fatal traffic crashes in that same year.

These staggering numbers include little children, the elderly and young adults. Los Angeles, not surprisingly, is one of the cities with the leading number of fatalities. According to the NHTSA records, in 2009 this highly urbanized location recorded the most number of accidents. 

Distraction while driving occurs when the driver of the motor vehicle attempts to do two things at the same time. Some of the samples of this nasty driving habit include using the cell phone (texting or calling), grooming, reading, or even thinking about other things aside from driving itself. Most of the time, such acts lead to collisions which should have been prevented.

During crashes, those inside the vehicle are susceptible to traumatic injuries. Two of the most common forms of this include the following:

Initial Indications of Traumatic Brain injury

A lot of accidents have been documented at the State of California. One of the possible reasons for this is the high road activity brought by tourism. This is also the primary element being blamed by authorities for their failure to implement the law and protect the citizens living within this location.

Due to the notoriety of California as a place prone to road accidents, it has actually landed in the list of the world’s worst places to drive in.

Based from the 2009 records of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), California topped the list of states with the most traffic fatalities in a year. Records show that in 2009 alone, there were 3,081 casualties in here. Los Angeles, one of its cities, also had the most number of casualties in the same year, with some 588 recorded traffic accident-related deaths. 

There is a great probability that the victims of traffic mishaps would sustain injuries that could debilitate them for life. One of the worst kinds of injury that they could incur is that of the traumatic brain injury (TBI). 

TBIis a type of ailment resulting from a strong blow to the head. It causes the skull to have fractures or have a crack. During the blow, the brain may bump against the skull, which could lead skull fragments to pierce the brain. Once the brain bleeds, or have its tissues torn or bruised, the victim could suffer from disrupted emotional or psychological functions.

The Top Deadliest Mistakes a Driver Must Avoid

In a perfect world, driving can be fun and easy. Every necessary movement associated with driving can be performed with accuracy. But then, this is not a perfect world. Truth be told, there is no such thing as accurate driving. Any attempt to make sure that the driving experience is smooth at all times is downright dubious. At any time and any place possible, driving can lead to either major or minor accidents.

To help drivers uphold their safety and of other motorists, it is important for them to keep in mind the deadliest driving mistakes. Here are some of them that they must avoid:

·         Swerving. It is the switching of lanes without proper caution. It is considered the primary deadly mistake, which, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), killed 15,574 people n 2007 alone.

·         Drowsy driving. Fatigue is one of the main enemies of drivers. It is often said that driving while tired is as dangerous as driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Traffic deaths are at its peak at hours when most people are accustomed to sleeping, usually from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Driving Free from Inside Distractions

Many drivers subconsciously engage in secondary activities while behind the steering wheel. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers who smoke, eat, drink, converse with someone on the vehicle, or fidget on the stereo or electronic gadgets while driving are distracted 30 percent of the time.

Doing such behaviors can be so dangerous that even one kind of distraction may result to fatal collisions and near-crashes. According to the NHTSA, distracted driving is seen as the main reason for 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes in the country.

Driving distractions are a combination of two factors: the need to drive the car and the need to interact with the surroundings. While driving free from distractions is not an easy task to do, many drivers today are doing their best to alleviate the possibility of getting involved in a road accident.

Here are some inside-the-vehicle distractions that drivers must know. Supplied in every one of them are things that must be done to prevent these distractions from happening: