Who’s At Fault in a Car Accident? A Guide to Liability in Ohio
Posted in: Car Accidents
KNR Legal Blog
In the year 2013, there were 269,079 car accidents in the state of Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety. While many of these accidents were caused by factors such as inclement weather, speeding, or drunk driving, others were the result of texting and driving.
With technology on the rise and the access to hand-held devices growing rapidly, distracted driving is becoming a larger problem than ever before. Read on for texting and driving statistics from 2013.
What is distracted driving?
Distraction.gov defines distracted driving as “any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.” The website also names some of the most common culprits of distracted driving.
Distracted driving can be extremely dangerous. When a person’s full attention isn’t focused on the act of driving, the risk of an accident greatly increases.
The Dangers of Cell Phone Use While Driving
The use of a cell phone while driving – either for talking or texting – is extremely dangerous. In an analysis of 2011 data on distracted driving, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that 69 percent of all drivers surveyed in the U.S. between the ages of 18 through 64 had talked on their cell phones while driving within the previous 30 days, and 31 percent had read or sent a text message or email while driving.
Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2011, 3,311 people were killed as a result of a distracted driver, and more than 387,000 were injured in an accident involving a distracted driver.
According to Distraction.gov, 10 percent of drivers under the age of 20 involved in a fatal crash were distracted at the time of the accident.
Who’s at risk for texting and driving and other forms of distracted driving?
Not surprisingly, teenagers are the most at-risk group for distracted driving, as well as using a cell phone while driving. According to a 2012 report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, female teens were twice as likely to use an electronic device, such as a cell phone, while driving as were male teenagers.
What’s more, in 2011 data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one in every five teen drivers thinks that texting makes no difference to their driving performance, and 68 percent of young drivers are willing to answer their phones while driving.
Texting and driving is a huge problem amongst teenagers. Parents and educators can do their part to save lives in these ways.
Kisling, Nestico & Redick Helps When You’ve Been Injured in an Accident
In the state of Ohio, it is illegal for a driver under the age of 18 to use a phone while driving. And drivers of all ages are forbidden from texting and driving. As such, if you’ve been hit by a driver who was distracted, the driver might not only have acted recklessly, but illegally, too. If you’ve been the victim of a distracted driver, seek legal help today.
At Kisling, Nestico & Redick, our Ohio car accident attorneys help you seek the compensation that you need for medical bills, injuries, and more. To get started on filing your personal injury claim today, call us now at 1-800-HURT-NOW.