Posted in Car Accident,Distracted Driving,Tennessee Accident Law on November 8, 2016
Child Injured in Potential Distracted Driving Accident in South Nashville
An accident that may have been caused due to distracted driving resulted in a 4-year-old child suffering injuries.
WKRN.com reports that the accident occurred in South Nashville on Ezell Road at Melmack Drive at around midnight on Monday.
Metro Nashville Police say that the vehicle that the child was riding in crashed into a wall near the roadway. After an investigation of the accident, police identified the driver as the grandmother of the child that was injured during the accident.
The child wasn’t riding in a car seat or booster seat at the time of the crash. The child’s injuries were considered minor, and he or she was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to receive treatment.
Police issued the child’s grandmother a citation for causing the accident, which they believe was due to distracted driving. No further information about the accident is available.
4 Facts about Distracted Driving
Cell phones and smartphones are nearly ubiquitous among Middle Tennesseans in 2016. From teens to middle-aged adults to the elderly, almost everyone has a cell phone or smartphone and almost no one leaves home without them. While smartphones and other electronic devices can make life more convenient in many ways, they can also significantly increase the risk of distracted driving.
There’s a concentrated effort by law enforcement and other governmental agencies to cut down on distracted driving, and these four facts about this new epidemic may prove eye-opening:
Accidents caused by distracted driving aren’t rare or isolated. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 18 percent of injury crashes in 2014 were caused by distracted driving. In comparison, 9,967 people were killed in 2014 due to drunk driving accidents and another 290,000 were injured.
At any given time on rural roads, urban streets, and high-speed highways and interstates, nearly half a million people are driving while looking at or operating smartphones and electronic devices, which can include GPS systems and car entertainment systems. That number has held steady since 2010, per the Federal Communications Commission.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that distracted driving can be broken down into three components: visual, manual, and cognitive. Visual distraction refers to when drivers take their eyes off the roadway. Manual distraction refers to when drivers their hands off the wheels of their vehicles. And cognitive distraction refers to when drivers take their minds off the task at hand while they’re behind the wheel.
When drivers text, they use their eyes to look at their phones, their hands to write and send the text, and their minds to focus on what they want to say. In addition, in the time it takes to read and send a text, drivers traveling 55 mph can cross the distance of a football field. On a roadway, that means that distracted drivers who send only a single text can cross over into other lanes, lose control of their vehicles, or rear-end cars in front of them that stopped or slowed down.
The best way to avoid distractions is to simply avoid using your smartphone or GPS while you’re on the road. That means making necessary phone calls and sending necessary text messages before you leave. You should also take the time to set your navigation system and load playlists and internet radio stations before starting your vehicle. By eliminating potentially distracting tasks before you begin your trip or commute, you’ll be less likely to give in to distractions.
Matt Hardin Law’s team of Nashville auto accident attorneys knows that distracted driving is an epidemic in Middle Tennessee and throughout the country. But we also know that it’s a choice drivers make that can have serious and even fatal consequences for themselves and for other motorists. That’s why we do everything in our power to hold distracted drivers accountable for their actions when they injure other people.
If you were injured by a distracted driver, get in touch with our legal team today by dialing (615) 200-1111.
