Distracted driving has certainly become a major issue in the last decade and a half. Much of this is attributed to smartphones, and laws have cropped up, making it illegal to text and drive, among other things. Driver’s ed courses also educate children about the dangers of distracted driving. Smartphones come with settings to automatically disable them when they detect that a car is in motion.
All of this is helpful, even though distracted driving still happens. These steps reduce the toll. However, one of the biggest driving distractions is impossible to prevent.
The wandering mind
The issue is that a driver’s mind can wander. This is also referred to as being lost in thought, and experts agree that it’s one of the “most significant causes of distracted driving crashes.” When someone just starts daydreaming and thinking about other things, they fail to focus on the road, and that lack of focus leads to accidents.
Now, there are ways a driver can prevent it, personally. They can chew gum, listen to music, talk to a passenger or even intentionally shift their gaze and focus every few seconds. But no law can be made to stop someone from simply getting lost in thought while they drive. This is most common on roads that people drive every day when they’re feeling bored, and that’s never going to change.
As such, if you get hit by a distracted driver who made an avoidable mistake, take a moment to look into all of the legal options you have. You may deserve compensation for your medical bills, the wages you lost while in the hospital and much more.