Distracted driving accidents kill more than 3,000 victims and seriously injure another 400,000 victims each year. The number one cause of distracted driving is cell phone use. Nevada, just like more than a dozen other states in the country, has a hand-held cell phone ban law in place.
This means that if a driver is talking on their cell phone, they must do it either through headsets or through their vehicle’s blue tooth technology.
The idea behind the law is that not allowing drivers to hold their phones while driving will decrease the number of distracted driving accidents.
But safety advocates say these laws only give people a false sense of security and that driving using hands-free devices is risky behavior in Nevada and across the country.
Distractions
There are three ways a driver can be distracted – visually, manually, and cognitively. Visually is when a driver takes their eyes off the road, such as trying to read a text message. Manually is when they take their hands off the wheel like a driver would do to dial a number on their cell phone.
Cognitively is when they take their attention off what they are doing and focus on another task. Researchers say hands-free devices greatly impacts a driver’s cognitive ability because they are not staying fully focused on the road.
Hands-free Devices
Studies show that even when a driver watches the road and holds the wheel, brain activity suffers with distractions.
When a driver uses a hands-free device, reaction times slow. Times such as how long it takes them to realize they need to brake. That increased reaction time – even seconds – can mean the difference between stopping in time or killing someone.
Drivers also have “tunnel vision” when talking on the phone and only see about 50% of their surroundings. This creates unsafe driving conditions.
When driving, 100 percent of mental resources should focus on the road. However, when a driver talks on the phone or sends a voice-activated text message, they deplete some of that power.
Injured? Contact us!
If you have been injured in a distracted driving accident, contact a Las Vegas personal injury attorney to discuss what legal recourse you may have against the at-fault driver.