The Baton Rouge-based personal injury law firm comments on a recent article that people who would never think of getting behind the wheel after drinking should realize that distractions, and especially texting while driving, can be just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.
BATON ROUGE, La., May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A May 4 article on WGNO reports on a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study which showed a shocking 12 percent increase in distraction-related fatalities in 2020. This was despite other types of fatalities going down nationally due to fewer drivers being on the road during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even so, some 3,142 people were killed in distraction-related collisions that year. Even more worrisome to Louisianans is that, according to an analysis by the MoneyGeek website, the state ranked second for the highest number of distracted driving deaths per mile, just behind New Mexico. (The lowest number of distraction fatalities were in Rhode Island and Louisiana's neighbor to the northeast, Mississippi.) Baton Rouge-based personal injury specialists Russell Law Firm LLC says that Louisiana residents need to pay close attention to their driving habits if they want to protect themselves and others.
The law firm notes that, while many forms of dangerous distraction exist, the NHTSA emphasizes the special hazard created by texting and driving. The organization states that the often deadly habit takes the driver's eyes off the road for at least several seconds. Russell Law Firm adds that motorists should also take into consideration the amount of mental bandwidth used during texting. Even responding to a text with a quick thumbs-up emoji requires some thought. If the text involves an emotional matter with loved ones or an important business matter, it can be all that much more dangerous as there's a risk a driver will forget what they are doing for a fatal second, says the law firm. Many individuals who have been responsible for the deaths of pedestrians or other drivers have come to deeply regret their choice not to pull over to a safe place before texting or to simply ignore their smartphones until arriving at their destination.
Russell Law Firm adds that, beyond texting, any experienced car accident lawyer knows that many injury accidents start with distractions ranging from eating and drinking to fumbling with a car entertainment system. Drivers need to be aware that avoiding annoying commercials or finding their favorite music while driving is simply not worth the risk of a deadly or debilitating car accident.
Russell Law Firm concludes by noting that it's time for the people of Louisiana to lose the tragic distinction of being the second-worst state for distracted driving deaths. The solution is simple: drivers need to recommit to keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel at all times. Smartphones have become an essential part of most people's lives over the last 15 years or so, but they should never be part of anyone's death.
Readers can learn more about the Russell Law Firm, LLC by visiting the firm's website at https://www.dannyrusselllaw.com/ or by calling (225) 307-3337.
Media Contact
Danny Russell, Russell Law Firm LLC, (225) 307-3337, [email protected]
SOURCE Russell Law Firm LLC
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