Did your parents have to invent games to keep you occupied on long car journeys when you were children? Maybe you had to count how many red cars you could spot, or how many birds of prey you could see perched along the highway.
Nowadays, many Richmond children do not look out of the window once they are inside a car. They have electronic gadgets to distract them from the journey. Unfortunately, so do most drivers.
The rise of smartphones, tablets and other in-car screens has led to a massive increase in distracted driving. When behind the wheel of a ton of fast-moving steel, the last thing a driver should be doing is making a call, reading a message, checking an email or composing a reply. Yet that is what modern in-car technology encourages you to do. Combined with the psychological need people now have to answer and be answered straight away, it makes for a lethal combination.
Checking the average text message takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). If someone told you they were going to drive with their eyes closed for frequent five-second stretches, you would think they were crazy and irresponsible. Yet many drivers are doing the equivalent every time they get behind the wheel.
While many drivers think they can safely call or message while moving, the statistics prove this is not true. According to an NHTSA report, almost 3,000 people died in 2018 due to distracted driving, including 600 passengers, 400 drivers and 77 pedestrians.
If you have been seriously injured in a Richmond car crash, it may be because the other driver was looking at their phone instead of the road. Contact Bowen Ten Long & Bal, PC, to learn if you are entitled to compensation for your injuries.