What's More Dangerous Than Texting and Driving?
A new study found that daydreaming and driving may be far more dangerous than texting and driving.
The study conducted by the Erie Insurance Group claims that those who let their minds wander and daydream as they drive actually pose a five times greater risk than those drivers who simply use their mobile phones and drive, reports Yahoo!
A spokesperson from the group called the results "disturbing."
The Erie Insurance Group said that 62 percent of all distracted driving accidents in the U.S. that resulted in death were due to drivers being "lost in thought," reports Yahoo! In contrast, the group maintains that only 12 percent of distracted driving fatalities resulted from drivers using of mobile phones.
In arriving at these numbers, the group looked at data in over 65,000 fatal car crashes that happened during 2011 and 2012. Of these crashes, about ten percent were due to distracted driving.
Despite the statistics, those who are involved in accidents with a distracted driver may have a much better ability to prove an accident caused by texting and smartphone use than an accident caused by daydreaming.
With smartphone use, you can always turn to evidence like phone records to prove that a driver was being careless or negligent at the time of the accident. However, in the case of daydreaming, how can a victim prove that the other driver was at fault and not paying attention short of getting a statement?
If you have a question about car accident liability and recovering damages, you should contact an experienced attorney in your area. An attorney can help you review the facts of an accident and help determine what kind of evidence can help you win any damages you may be owed.
Related Resources:
- Study finds daydreaming the top cause of distracted driving accidents (Fox News)
- Legal How-To: Filing a Minor Car Accident Claim (FindLaw's Injured)
- Is There a Statute of Limitations for Car Accidents? (FindLaw's Injured)