Having your own car makes a big social statement. It tells people that you can afford a car and insurance, which means you have a job that pays you enough to have a car. People can tell a lot about a person from the car they have. For example, if you drive Toyota Prius then you are probably environmentally conscious. If you drive a Hummer then you probably care more about your reputation then you do the Earth. If you drive an SUV or minivan you probably have a family with kids to fill up all the seats. We make a lot of assumptions about the drivers on the road. One big assumption is that they are all paying attention.
Our car accident attorney at Shenderovich, Shenderovich, and Fishman have heard many iterations of a similar story: distracted driving. People reach out to our offices telling the story of how some distracted driver hit them causing an injury. Cars are such an American concept. We love our cars. We love our cars so much that we have shows, clubs, and organizations about the cars we love. Vehicles have status and are symbolic of where we are in life. Rarely are cars just a means to get from place to place. People don’t just drive in their cars. People also eat, talk, put on makeup, argue, cry, jam out to music, etc. All these activities take place in cars and sometimes while the driving is driving.
All About Distracted Driving
Distracted driving happens when drivers pay too much attention elsewhere instead of the road. Distracted driving results in about 9 people’s death every day and more than 1,000 injuries. The most common kind of distracted driving is caused by cell phones. So much so that as of June 2017, 14 states including DC have banned hand-held cell phone use in the car completely and 46 states have banned texting and driving. Looking at your phone can take up to 5 seconds. It only takes 3 seconds for a distracted driver to cause a crash. Yet no matter what the research says about distracted driving, 77 % of adults and 55% of teenagers believe that they have the ability to text and drive without any concern for themselves or others.
Clearly, this is not true. No one can successfully drive while distracted. Distracted driving is really about feeling too comfortable in your car and engaging in negligent behavior. This negligent behavior results in car accidents. Whether it be a rear end, head on, sideswipe or any other kind of accident, the statistics are real and an accident is bound to cause injury.
What To Do
If you or someone you love is suffering from injury resulting from a car accident then our Pittsburgh Car Accident Attorneys are ready to work for you. We believe that people should be held accountable for their negligent behavior. Call 888-98-TWINS(89467) or click here to schedule a free consultation with our professional attorneys at Shenderovich, Shenderovich, and Fishman today.