We write often about car and truck accidents involving distracted drivers. We do this because we know, first hand, that distracted driving has truly become an epidemic on par or exceeding drunk driving. We often refer to distracted driving in the context of cell phone use, but it is important to remember that distracted driving can take many forms.
For example, there was recently a train accident outside of Seattle, Washington, with multiple fatalities. While at the time of this writing the investigation is ongoing, preliminary investigation points to distracted driving as one of the considerations of the cause of the accident. In fact, whether distracted driving was the cause or not, the investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board said that distracted operation is a top priority for the agency. In this case the investigator was not only referring to operators of large vehicles, trains, planes and ships being distracted by cell phones, but also by other people.
What is becoming more and more clear is that, as a society, we are becoming increasingly distracted, and that the inability to focus for prolonged periods of time, or ignore our phones, reaches across industries and to people who are often responsible for the lives and safety of large groups.
There are, of course, laws that prohibit driving while distracted by certain devices, just as there are laws that prohibit driving while intoxicated. Unfortunately, we know that people frequently choose to drive while intoxicated, and driving while distracted is much easier to do. Continued awareness of the dangers of distracted driving (including public awareness campaigns and training) is the only way to try and limit preventable accidents.
If you've been hurt by a distracted driver or large vehicle operator, give us a call today.
