Drivers in New York may want to hear about the results of a distracted driving study from Wakefield Research. These were recently shared by Root Insurance, a company known for providing insurance discounts to drivers who avoid phone use. The results show that most drivers know it is wrong to distract themselves behind the wheel yet do it anyway.
Of the nearly 2,000 U.S. drivers who responded to the study, about half called distracted driving their top concern on the road. All but 1% acknowledged that one of the top three distractions for a driver is phone use. When asked what they would do if they found their ride-hailing driver texting, 89% said they would leave a bad rating, and 90% said they were better drivers than ride-hailing employees.
At the same time, respondents admitted to using phones themselves when driving. The average came to 13 minutes per day. Among phone-related distractions, the most frequently cited were group chats, including text and email chains with other people at 52%. This was followed by social media, including memes and newsfeeds at 33% and video streaming at 18%. Nearly two in five drivers said they do not put their phones down when they see law enforcement around.
Drivers have no excuse for being so negligent behind the wheel, and when they cause a car crash as a result of that negligence, they could be deemed at fault. Victims themselves may have contributed to the accident, though, and this will affect their chances of recovering damages. Those who feel they have a strong personal injury case may want to hire a lawyer. The lawyer, in turn, might hire investigators to gather proof of negligence, which could include phone records, physical evidence from the crash site and eyewitness testimony.