Most everyone knows of someone—a friend, neighbor, maybe even a family member—who has been killed or injured by a drunk driver. But these days there is yet another danger around the curve of every road: a WV distracted driver accident.
As soon as the automobile was mass-produced for the American public, people started getting injured and killed in auto accidents. Very simply, a human being travelling at an accelerated rate will suffer harm when it comes into contact with another object. It is even worse when that other object is travelling in the opposite direction at an accelerated rate. Add all the metal that gets in-between and, well, you get the picture. And while car-makers have done wonders in making cars safer, the one thing that hasn’t been fixed is drivers.
The WV Distracted Driver Accident: The Numbers
West Virginia’s rate of car crash fatalities is above the national average. Nationally, traffic deaths are 11.6 per 100,000 people. In West Virginia, the rate is 14.7 per 100,000. Speeding and alcohol are the two most cited factors in crashes that result in a death. Thirty-two percent of crashes involve speeding and 25% involve alcohol concentrations of .08 or higher.
In addition to speeding and alcohol, some experts say that West Virginia’s terrain is a big factor in the number of wrecks. A high percentage of the roads travelled in the state are rural, two-lane roads that naturally put vehicles in closer proximity to one another and generally reduce the margin of error for drivers.
One thing that is less clear is the number of accidents that are the result of distracted driving. This is a harder thing to determine because drivers who survive crashes are not likely to admit to having been doing something else while driving. Alcohol and speed are things that can be readily ascertained. Nonetheless, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 3,450 people were killed in 2016 as a result of distracted driving.
What Are Some Examples of Distracted Driving?
According to NHTSA, distracted driving is “any activity that diverts attention from driving.” The most commonly cited distraction is mobile phone use, especially for texting. According to NHTSA, a driver travelling 55 mph who diverts his eyes from the road to the phone for 5 seconds has essentially travelled the length of five football fields with his eyes closed. None of us would actually drive with our eyes closed, but many people drive while trying to read or send texts on a phone.
Phone use, however, is not the only kind of distracted driving. As the definition above asserts, any activity that diverts attention is a problem. Consider the following things we may routinely do or see others doing while driving:
- Eating
- Reading
- Consulting a map
- Changing settings on the entertainment system
- Setting the navigation system
- Personal grooming
Any of these activities distract from the task of driving, but texting is currently the most prevalent source of distracted driving in spite of the passage of laws making it illegal.
Is a Distracted Driving Accident in WV More Likely Than in Other States?
Because of the nature of West Virginia’s road system, distracted driving accidents are probably more likely to occur. Consider NHTSA’s example of the five second distraction that covers five football fields. Now think about the roads you drive in West Virginia. How many times could you travel that distance without having to navigate a curve? Not very many. It is therefore much more likely that a driver on a curvy road using a mobile phone or otherwise paying attention to something other than driving will have an accident than a driver on a straight road paying full attention to the task at hand.
That spells danger for those of us who drive the roads even if we are driving responsibly. We never know when we will be hit by a distracted driver. In fact, just being a pedestrian puts us at risk of being injured by distracted driving.
Where Should You Turn If You’ve Been Injured in a WV Distracted Driver Accident?
If you have been injured in a WV distracted driver accident, you should contact a WV distracted driving lawyer. The lawyers at the Law Offices of Kelly Reed have extensive experience representing clients who have been injured in all kinds of accidents, including those involving distracted driving. Contact us today at 304-292-2020 or complete our online contact form for a free consultation.