April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a joint effort between the National Safety Council and FocusDriven.org – a nonprofit advocating cellphone-free driving. The goal of this month is to bring more awareness to the dangers of distracted driving and to reduce the number of accidents caused by this type of negligent behavior.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests that distraction plays some role in a majority of automobile accidents. Indeed, 1.6 million accidents annually are caused by cellphone use alone, and cellphone use is far from the only thing that results in driver inattention.
Types of Distraction
Distraction can be caused by anything that takes a driver’s eyes off of the road. This includes:
- Eating or drinking
- Personal grooming
- Changing a radio station, CD, or MP3 player
- Reading a map or using GPS
- Dialing or typing on a cellphone
All of these behaviors are dangerous and greatly increase the risk of causing a serious or fatal accident.
You Have Rights
Educational campaigns are wonderful and can be very effective at reducing future issues, but they do not help those already injured by negligent drivers. Chicago auto accident attorney Jon Walner and the legal team at our firm strongly believe that victims of distracted drivers deserve justice. We are prepared to take your case and fight for you to help you get the justice you deserve.
If you have been injured by a distracted driver in Illinois, please contact Harvey L. Walner & Associates, Ltd. to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Chicago auto accident attorney.
