Distracted driving happens far too often in this country. On average, nine people die at the hands of distracted drivers on a daily basis in the United States. An average of over 1,000 people suffer injuries in these crashes each day.
The risks are present for everyone on the roads, but bicyclists are at an increased risk of suffering harm because they don’t have the protective shell that a vehicle provides to occupants. The beautiful weather in San Jose means that drivers should always remain alert, so they can keep cyclists and everyone else on the roadways safe.
Drivers have three types of distractions that they need to pay close attention to. Cognitive distractions take their thoughts off driving. Visual distractions take their eyes off the road. Manual distractions take their hands off the steering wheel. Some things that drivers do encompass all three of these.
Using a cellphone is one of the most common distractions that’s thought of now; however, this isn’t the only one. Eating a snack, taking a sip of a drink, talking to someone in the car, looking at advertisements on billboards and manipulating the GPS are all distractions that are easily avoidable.
Sometimes, people think that short distractions are acceptable when they drive. This isn’t at all the case. If a driver is going 55 miles per hour, they go from endzone to endzone of a football field in only five seconds. Many accidents can occur in that distance, so it isn’t ever acceptable for a driver to take their attention off driving.
Bicyclists who are struck by a distracted driver might suffer catastrophic injuries that require extensive medical care. They might choose to seek compensation from the distracted driver to recover the financial damages they incur because of the driver’s negligence.