In the ongoing battle against distracted driving, there is some good news.
According to the National Safety Council, in 2022, 3,308 people across the country died because of distracted driving.
While this death toll is still too high, in 2021, there were 3,521 fatalities due to distracted driving, meaning the death toll seems to be heading in the right direction.
Still, the numbers have not yet returned to their 2018 low point, when 2,645 people died in collisions related to distracted driving.
Distracted driving is not just a problem with cell phones
Many residents of Quincy and other southern Illinois communities have probably seen campaigns encouraging drivers not to text and drive or make calls and drive. Generally, talking on handheld cell phones and texting and driving are illegal in Illinois.
Unfortunately, people do choose to ignore both the law and the warnings. The percentage of distracted driving fatalities related to phone use stood at just over 12% in 2022, about the same as it was in 2021.
But these statistics also illustrate how distracted driving is a much bigger problem than cell phone use alone.
Phones aside, there are many things that can distract drivers.
Motorists need to avoid fiddling with the radio or other devices, grooming, eating, drinking or reaching for objects in the vehicle. Any of these behaviors can cause wrecks.
Likewise, motorists need to keep their eyes on the road and make sure that other passengers, including children and pets in the back, are not interrupting their concentration.
Finally, many distracted driving accidents happen because the driver’s mind was simply on other things. Driving requires 100% concentration. Motorists must avoid daydreaming.
Whatever the cause of the distraction, drivers who take their eyes or minds off the road and cause a serious accident can be held legally accountable for their actions. They may be required to pay compensation for the damages they cause.