Distracted driving contributes to thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries every year in the United States, per statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lanier Law Group, P.A.’s attorneys are proud to observe Distracted Driving Awareness Month this April to combat these statistics, as we firmly believe that through education, it is possible to make driver distraction a danger of the past.
Get Involved
One of the most effective ways in which you can get involved this Distracted Driving Awareness Month is to read up on the cause. Learn about the different types of driver distraction and how to avoid them. Sharing your knowledge with others and discouraging them from driving while distracted can also go a long way toward increasing public safety.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is any activity that takes a driver’s attention away from the road, hand off the wheel, and/or eyes off the road. Most driver distractions tend to do all three.
Most commonly, drivers in North Carolina are distracted by one or more of the following activities:
- Eating
- Texting
- Calling
- Grooming
- Smoking
- Daydreaming
- Listening to loud music
- Fidgeting with the dash and radio
Is It Illegal to Text and Drive in North Carolina?
North Carolina has strict laws aimed at discouraging drivers from multitasking while driving. All drivers are prohibited from texting and emailing while driving, and drivers under 18 years old cannot use their cell phones in any capacity while behind the wheel. Hands-free and voice-operated devices are not prohibited by law, however.
Hands-Free Devices Are Still a Driving Distraction
While hands-free devices are a legal alternative to using a handheld phone while you drive, they are not necessarily a safe alternative. This is because they still take your attention away from the road, particularly when they do not work properly. For instance, you may end up having to look down at your phone anyway to make sure that your commands were followed or your message was transcribed correctly.
Distracted Driving Prevention & Safety Tips
There is no better way to reduce the prevalence of driver distraction than by reducing the risk of distraction, or eliminating it altogether when you can. Several effective prevention and safety tips include the following:
- Put your phone away
- Silence your phone before you drive
- Map your route ahead of time
- Ask a co-pilot, or passenger, to handle any distractions
- Keep music at a volume that allows you to easily hear outside noises
- Wait until you get to your destination to eat
- Avoid grooming yourself while in the driver’s seat
- If you need to, take a few moments to pull over
Fighting for Safer Roads in North Carolina
Lanier Law Group, P.A. does not stop advocating for safer roads once Distracted Driving Awareness Month is over; we help North Carolina residents pursue lawsuits year-round against the distracted drivers who injured them, particularly in cases involving texting and driving. With offices conveniently located throughout the state, qualified legal help is not far away. On top of that, our firm offers free, confidential consultations to all new clients.
Trust a heavyweight — call Lanier Law Group, P.A. today at (855) 757-4204 to schedule a risk-free consultation.