Distracted driving in Maryland
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports 5,474 people were killed, and 448,000 injured because of distracted driving in the United States in 2009.
Distracted driving is not new—it is any activity that diverts the mental, physical, or visual attention of a driver from the task of driving. But the number of new distractions keeps growing.
A pending bill in the Maryland legislature aims to allow law enforcement to stop and cite drivers talking on handheld cell phones without observing another violation first. While it can be a cell phone, a host of diversions compete for the attention of a vehicle driver including:
- Personal electronic devices (PEDs)
- Grooming
- On-board navigational systems
- Videos
- Eating or drinking
The National Safety Council reports distracted drivers suffer a form of inattention blindness leading them to view rather than respond to important—and dangerous—traffic situations.
We work daily with individuals and families suffering the results of distracted driving in Maryland—and we fight aggressively to prove the negligence of those who hurt them. Consider these facts about distracted driving:
- Passengers are just as dangerous as PEDs. Children are four times—and infants are eight times—more distracting than adult passengers.
- Headset or hands-free cell phones are not substantially safer than handheld cell phones.
If you take your attention off the road, you might take a life. Do not do it. And if you or a loved one suffers injury by a negligent driver, we can help. Call us.
