Distracted driving is one of the biggest issues on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), around 2,800 people died in 2018 due to distracted drivers.
Naturally, you can avoid contributing to the problem by not engaging in distracted driving yourself. What can you do, however, to avoid falling victim to another driver who isn’t paying attention to the road?
What you can do to avoid distracted drivers
Anyone can be a distracted driver, regardless of age or sex. However, there are certain places and times of day that will have a high concentration of distracted drivers than others. Here’s where you need to be the most alert for distracted drivers around you:
- The school run: Watch out if you cross paths with the morning school run. There are likely to be parents distracted by their children.
- The morning rush hour: Between 7 am and 9 am, the roads will be full of people on their way to work. Many will be getting a head start on their emails or catching up on their messages while sat in traffic.
- Friday and Saturday nights: Each weekend, the roads close to bars and nightclubs will have drivers scanning through their phones to find the next music track or turning around to chat with their friends.
- At traffic signals: When the lights tell you to stop, you know you will be there for a little while. Many use this time to look at their phone. They might not check the road thoroughly before pulling away again.
- On long straight stretches: Most people will not grab their cup of coffee or scroll through their phone on a tight corner. They will wait until the road straightens because they think it requires less of their concentration.
The more focused you are on the road around you, the more chance you have to spot other drivers who are dangerously distracted and might injure you. If a distracted driving accident does happen, however, you could be facing significant injuries and lost income. An experienced advocate can help you get the compensation you are due.