You have heard of distracted driving but a new dangerous trend is causing more accidents on our roads — taking selfies while driving. It seems as if our culture is consumed with sharing every detail of our lives on social media, including taking selfies to document every second of our lives. There is nothing wrong with selfies or with using social media. However, there is something deadly wrong with doing so while you are operating a vehicle.
If you believe a distracted driver caused your car accidents, we can help. Contact our office by calling (504) 587-1440 or 1-800-587-1889 to schedule a free consultation with a NoLA car accident attorney.
Social Media While Driving
At one time, one of the most dangerous things a driver could do was drive while intoxicated or impaired by alcohol. Today, distracted driving accidents far outnumber DUI incidents. Drivers think nothing of texting while driving, reading their email, taking pictures, or making videos. The dangers are very real.
In March 2017, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released is data on distracted driving for 2015. According to the report:
- 3,477 people were killed in 2015 in distracted-driving crashes
- 391,000 people were injured that year in distracted-driving crashes
- Distracted drivers in 2015 killed 551 non-occupant ants (i.e. pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.)
- 10% of fatal crashes involved a distracted driver
- 15% of injury crashes involved a distracted driving
The NHTSA recognizes the fact that the above figures may be underreported due to inconsistencies with police reports nationwide and due to the fact that it can be difficult to determine if a driver was distracted at the time of the collision. Therefore, the number of deaths and injuries from distracted driving accidents could be much larger.
What Can We Do About Distracted Driving?
The first thing we can do is put down our phones and other electronic devices while driving. It is up to you to stop distracted driving. If each one of us committed to not using any electronic device while driving, the number of distracted driving accidents would decrease. However, it is not just the use of electronic devices. Distracted driving can take many forms from eating and grooming to taking care of children and daydreaming. Anything that takes your mind or eyes away from the road is a potentially deadly distraction.
As with the dangerous of drunk driving and the positives of wearing seat belts, education is the key to lowering the number of distracted driving accidents. The federal government and most, if not all, states have campaigns aimed at educating the public and deterring the public from distracted driving. Many people assume that teenagers are the worst offenders, but this is not true. Adults can be just as bad when it comes to distracted driving.
We need to spread the word that distracted driving is killing the people we love. For more information about distracted driving, you can visit these websites:
Call a New Orleans Distracted Driving Accident Attorney for Help
Contact Attorney Fred Olinde of The Olinde Firm by calling (504) 587-1440 or 1-800-587-1889 to request a free consultation with a New Orleans accident attorney. We accept most cases on a contingency fee basis — you don’t pay our attorney fees until we recover compensation on your behalf.