Distracted driving has become an epidemic across the country. The biggest distraction facing drivers of all ages and skill levels is the use of a mobile phone while behind the wheel of a vehicle. Many states have banned texting while driving and other hand-held use of phones and electronics but the laws have not curbed the distracted driving epidemic.
When it comes to federal records, the government is failing to record traffic deaths related to distracted driving as such. The United States experienced decades of declining fatalities on the roads until the last two years. In those two years, traffic deaths jumped by 14.4 percent. In 2016, more than 100 people died each day in or near vehicles. It marked the first time in more than a decade that the statistic reached triple digits.
Many researchers suggest the use of smartphones while driving as a reason for an increase in the number of traffic fatalities. Between the years of 2014 and 2016, the share of drivers with an Android, iPhone or comparable device rose from 75 percent to 81 percent.
The increase in traffic fatalities over the past two years has come largely with pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists. Just last year, there were some 5,987 pedestrians killed by vehicles in the country. That’s almost 1,100 more than in 2014, or a 22 percent increase in just two years.
If you’ve been injured in an accident with a commercial vehicle in the Lehigh Valley, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible about your case to learn what legal recourse is available.
