Drivers must exercise reasonable care and caution while operating their vehicles. At the most basic level, this means paying attention to the road and traffic. While the dangers of focusing on anything other than driving may seem obvious, many motorists choose to engage in distracting behavior anyway.

Texting and talking on a cell phone often get the most attention when it comes to distracted driving, but there are also other behaviors that can lead to distracted driving car accidents. Eating, drinking, adjusting the radio, looking at a map or GPS system or even simply talking to passengers can divert a driver’s attention from the task at hand.

Some of the common types of distractions that can lead to auto accidents include:

• Texting or using a cell phone or smartphone
• Eating or drinking while driving
• Having a conversation with passengers
• Applying makeup, shaving, brushing your hair or doing other grooming tasks
• Looking at a map or reading anything else in the car
• Using a GPS navigation system
• Watching videos
• Adjusting the controls in the car, such as the heater or air conditioner, the radio, a CD player or an iPod
• Tending to children or pets in the car.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) groups these types of distractions into three main categories: visual distractions (taking your eyes away from the road); manual distractions (taking your hands off the steering wheel); and cognitive distractions (focusing your mind on something other than driving).

Statistics show just how widespread the distracted driving problem is and just how many dangers it creates for drivers, pedestrians, bicycle riders and every other person on the road. Some of the statistics that highlight the hazards of distracted driving include the following:

• The CDC says that 15 people are killed and 1,200 people injured each day in distracted driving crashes.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the number of people killed in distracted driving crashes rose 1.9 percent from 2010 to 2011. In 2010, there were 3,267 deaths related to distracted driving crashes in the United States. In 2011, the number of distracted driving deaths rose to 3,331.
• NHTSA reports that there were 387,000 people in the U.S. injured in distraction-affected crashes in 2011. This is hundreds of thousands of people who got hurt because drivers weren’t paying attention.
• 18 percent of all crashes in 2010 that caused injury involved driver distraction.
• 11 percent of fatal crashes involving drivers ages 20 and under were distracted driving crashes.
• Drivers who use a hand-held device while driving are four times more likely to get into a serious crash than a driver who isn’t distracted.
• Your eyes will be off the road for 4.6 seconds on average when you send or receive a text while driving. If you’re going 55 mph, you could drive the length of a football field while you are looking at your phone instead of looking at other cars on the road.
• The amount of brain activity devoted to driving is reduced by 37 percent when someone talks on a cell phone. Using a hands-free device isn’t much safer than talking on a hand-held cell phone, since your brain is still focused on the call instead of the road.

Despite efforts to impose a statewide ban on texting and cell phone use while driving for all motorists in South Carolina, no such ban has been passed yet. Several counties and towns throughout South Carolina have approved local bans.

Even though South Carolina has no specific distracted driving law, the state does require every driver to exercise a reasonable degree of care and refrain from driving recklessly. When a distracted driving crash occurs in South Carolina, the responsible party can be held accountable for his or her actions in a personal injury lawsuit.

A Lawyer Can Help Victims of Distracted Driving

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed by a distracted driver, South Carolina law entitles you to hold that person legally responsible for your medical expenses and vehicle repair bills, as well as any lost wages and other financial losses. You may also seek compensation for pain and suffering or loss of comfort, care and companionship of a loved one.

The deadline for filing a claim is already running, so contact the experienced South Carolina distracted driving lawyers at the Louthian Law Firm today for a free evaluation of your case. Call us toll free at 888-662-9821 or locally in Columbia at 803-454-1200. You can also fill out our online contact form.