Some of our readers in Louisiana may have seen a recent post here, which discussed the potential issue that safety features in newer vehicles may actually be a distraction for drivers. Distracted driving is a problem that is plaguing the entire country. Our state is not immune to the devastating consequences, which can be associated with a car accident that is caused by a distracted driver. But, even if safety features in new cars are distracting, we all know what the main cause of distracted driving is: cellphones.
A recent study found that the problem may be getting worse. According to a recent report, a study that was conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that despite the many, many warnings in the public through awareness campaigns to make sure that drivers know just how dangerous using a cellphone while driving can be, drivers are not taking heed.
In fact, the IIHS study found that over the course of a four-year period, from 2014 to 2018, there was an estimated 57 percent increase in the number of drivers who reached for their cellphones while driving. That is a truly shocking finding. Even as some estimates are showing that the number of car accidents is rising in recent years after decades of consistently falling, drivers refuse to get off of their cellphones and concentrate on driving.
A car accident can occur in a split-second. It does not take much. Anyone in Louisiana who has been injured in a car crash that was caused by a driver, who just could not stay off of the cellphone, may have legal options to pursue financial compensation.