THREE REASONS PEOPLE TEXT AND DRIVE

You may have seen it on the highway — the car swerving in and out of their lane, seemingly unaware of anyone else on the road. When you pass this car, the passenger’s head is down, hands in their lap. Another texting driver.

Distraction occurs every time your hands come off the wheel or your eyes come off the road, or even when you let your mind wander, as in cases of highway hypnosis. Any time any of these occur, you are increasing your chance of getting into a deadly car accident.

There are three main reasons people engage in distracted driving, including:

• They don’t know the risks: This group may include teens who are new to driving and haven’t been told how dangerous it is to allow something else to take your attention away from the wheel. This problem can be remedied with education and awareness about distracted driving.
• They think they can defy the odds: It won’t happen to them. This group may know the risk but think they are savvy enough to avoid accidents, or that they won’t get caught. This group is likely to stop once they understand that a distracted driving accident can happen to anyone. The more you do it, the higher your chances.
• They are busy: This group knows the risks but just can’t disconnect. Whether it’s friends, family or work, they just can’t put the phone down while they are behind the wheel. This problem can be solved with apps and monitoring systems that prevent texts or emails from being transmitted while the car is moving. Or, you can try putting your phone in the glove compartment while moving, or simply turning it off.

Teens are most at risk because they fall in all three categories at once: they are new drivers, they feel invincible in general and they lead busy lives.

The best way to keep your teen from driving distracted is to set a good example. Even though a teenager’s friends have extraordinary influence over them, as a parent, you are still the number-one influence.

If a driver who was texting and driving injured you, contact the Connecticut auto accident lawyers at The Pickel Law Firm.