When you are driving along Mississippi roads, it is not uncommon to see people putting on makeup, looking at the GPS device, bending down to scroll through the music options, or using a cell phone or other electronic device. These various forms of distracted driving lead to dangerous situations where the driver’s focus is off the road at the critical time.
In Mississippi, a campaign to target distracted drivers started in Oxford in early November, 2013, and is spreading to other areas along the coast. The campaign, known as “Pay Attention or Pay a Fine” targets behaviors that lead to a driver not paying attention to the road and driving in a careless manner. According to a local news story, Lieutenant Johnny Poulos of the Mississippi Highway Patrol stated that they would not be pulling people over for eating while in a vehicle, but they would have officers looking for other dangerous behaviors.
Distracted driving can be a serious problem even when people do not consider themselves to be distracted. There are three different classifications of distracted driving that have been set forth for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which are:
- Manual distraction – the driver removes one or both hands from the wheel in order to do something, whether that is texting, drinking coffee, plugging an address into the GPS, or performing any other activity;
- Visual distraction – removing one’s eyes from the road to the extent that it leads to a loss of focus and negligent driving; and
- Cognitive distraction – while it may seem perfectly normal to think about the weekend events or evening’s menu, this may lead to a distraction that leads to a loss of reaction time at a critical moment.
Some of the activities that lead to distracted driving without being regularly thought of as a distraction include:
- Checking on the children in the backseat, which entails many glances in the rearview mirror and turns in the seat;
- Bringing your pet along for the ride – having a loose animal can lead to paying attention to what the animal is doing rather than the stopped traffic on the road ahead;
- Driving while fatigued – this is particularly dangerous because the driver may believe that he or she is paying attention to the road, but the exhaustion leads to a loss of focus; and
- Focusing on the billboards – while advertisers are trying to grab the attention of drivers, reading the marketing text may lead to a critical distraction.
In order to be safe from distractions, there are some things to do, including:
- Driving defensively – by staying aware of what is going on around the driver, it may be possible to react quickly to a potential problem;
- Never use technology while driving – taking the time to pull off the road may be a life-saving decision;
- Maintain a safe driving distance with other vehicles on the road;
- Wear seat belts and make sure your passengers are buckled up as well; and
- Stay focused on the road – thinking about what you are doing will help you react when it is critical.
More municipalities are taking action against distracted driving because this is an increasing threat to everyone on the road. If you were the victim of a distracted driving accident, it is critical to get the right legal help as soon as possible in order to preserve your rights.
Barrett Law PLLC Fights for Those Who are Injured as the Result of Distracted Driving
In an age where people are praised for multi-tasking on a variety of technological devices, it is understandable that the mindset carries over to driving. However, this distracted driving leads to serious crashes along roadways across Mississippi. If you were injured in a car accident caused by distracted driving or some other negligent behavior, the compassionate and skilled Mississippi Personal Injury Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to protect your interests. To schedule a free and confidential initial consultation, please call (800) 707-9577.