Although the recent health situation has been challenging in Connecticut and across the U.S., there has been some unusual side benefit in that the reduction in traffic has led to fewer auto accidents. However, as people head back to work and circumstances slowly normalize, there is growing concern that accidents will increase. Especially worrisome are distracted driving accidents. People are advised to pay attention to the road when behind the wheel. Unfortunately, many do not and there are collisions with injuries and fatalities because of it.
First responders express concerns
Recently, there has been a rise in rear-end accidents with injuries in the state. In one three-day span, there were seven vehicles involved with 14 people hurt. None were injured seriously, but rear-end accidents and crashes because of distracted driving have the potential to be serious. First responders in general are expressing worry about the growing traffic and distractions behind the wheel. Fire departments are called to these scenes and more than 11,600 were hurt in 2018 when they responded to incidents that were not fire-related.
The number of people who have devices with myriad capabilities has stoked the rise in distracted driving. People can not only make phone calls, but they can send messages, surf the web, use GPS and much more. Dashboard technology is meant to improve the driving experience, but it can also lead to distraction. Eating, changing the radio and interacting with passengers are also forms of distracted driving.
After an accident, first responders who are at the scene are also at risk because of drivers failing to pay attention. Accidents tend to block the roadway, so when a vehicle passes and a driver is distracted, accidents can occur and injure police, firefighters and ambulance crews. There were more than 2,900 distracted driving collisions in the U.S. in 2017. Overall, these accidents caused 9% of the total of fatal accidents with 3,166 people losing their lives.
Addressing the challenges of an auto accident’s aftermath
Distracted driving is a common cause of accidents, but there are many other reasons why they occur including recklessness, driving under the influence, drowsiness, speeding and negligence. People who have been hurt in auto accidents – particularly in a rear-end collision – may have major medical expenses, lost wages from being unable to work and the need for assistance to do basic tasks. It is important to be cognizant of the steps to recover compensation. Having an experienced advocate may be helpful with investigating the case and moving forward with a legal filing.
