The idea that distracted driving is dangerous is not new. Most Alabama drivers understand just how much a risk they are taking when they pick up a cell phone while they are behind the wheel, but a large portion of people continue to do so anyway. When these drivers cause serious accidents, their victims may be able to seek compensation through a personal injury claim.
Most people associate texting and driving with teenagers, and indeed it is a serious problem. A joint study including the Centers for Disease Control demonstrated that some 40 percent of teenagers admitted to texting and driving in the month before participating in a nationwide survey. Sure, this is a large chunk of the teenage driving population, but current estimates still put their parents and other adult drivers at higher rates for this risky behavior, around 49 percent.
Some states also had lower teen texting rates than the national average, and researchers largely chalked this up to driving age. States with higher minimum ages for obtaining a learner’s permit had lower rates of driving and texting. On the other hand, lower minimum ages for learning to drive and large populations of student drivers seem to lead to more teenagers trying to text or physically manipulate a smart phone while driving.
When a person is behind the wheel of a vehicle they should be focused on the road rather than whatever is happening on his or her cell phone screen. These distracted drivers put everyone else in Alabama at risk for serious personal injury, which can require some people to take time off work and incur hefty medical bills. A successfully pursued personal injury claim can help victims achieve just compensation, which can then be applied to their financial, physical and emotional damages.
