Car accidents claim the lives of many, and distracted driving in Illinois and around the country caused 3,000 fatalities in 2020. One statistic stands out; according to the NHTSA, men are 75% more likely to be driving and have an accident. Some are on their cell phones, but that is a small number at 13%.
Distracted driving accidents may happen when the driver reaches for an object, is eating on the phone, or communicating with other passengers. Reading, while driving, may also be the culprit for some.
The distracted one second
At one second at 60 miles per hour (mph), a distracted driver travels 90 feet. If they are going 75 mph, they’ll travel 110 feet, while distracted for a second. This data came from a study relating to car accidents by the Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST) developed by NHTSA.
The most distracted drivers
New Mexico heads the list by a factor of two. It was the second year for this distinction. Statistics showed 10.05 deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers. Following New Mexico is Kansas, which had 4.49 deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers.
More risky drivers
Men are more risky drivers, compared to women. In fact, men drive more miles than women, and studies show that often they do not wear seat belts. They may experience impairment by alcohol or be prone to speeding. On the other hand, with crashes of the same severity, females are more likely to die than males. This factor diminishes with the age of the driver.
Connect to Disconnect (C2D)
This initiative worked at enforcing cell phone and texting bans. Its purpose was to reduce traffic crashes caused by distracted drivers.
Men are more likely to die in an accident involving distracted driving. In 2020, New Mexico led the list of states in which distracted driving leads to an accident.
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle collision, contact our Chicago car accident law firm from The Personal Injury Lawyers ™ to obtain the justice you deserve.
