A Personal Injury Lawyer in Grapevine, TX Warns of Distracted Driving

As a personal injury lawyer in Grapevine, TX, we are familiar with how dangerous distracted driving can be. Many of our clients are injured in accidents caused by someone not paying attention to the road, weather conditions, or traffic patterns in general. Distracted driving is dangerous because taking your eyes off of the road for five seconds while going 55 miles per hour can result in you driving the length of a football field without knowing what is going on. Consider how much can happen in that distance, and you can imagine the depth of the problem.

While most people think of cell phone usage when considering distracted driving, there are plenty of other distractions, such as getting fast food and eating in the car. When you eat, you have to pick up your food, make sure it does not spill, and eat while still watching the cars around you, maintaining a steady speed, and paying attention to traffic signals. This can be difficult and distracting at the very least. Simultaneously, engaging in conversation can be distracting. If a child is asking questions from the backseat, it is a natural behavior to avert your eyes to watch while they are speaking. Discussing a hot political issue or your favorite sports team can also be distracting as the conversation becomes more and more exciting. Some drivers even do their hair and makeup on the road, adding to a long list of possible distractions. If you do not do these things, great! However, that does not mean everyone around you is paying attention to the road. For your safety, it is important to watch for signs of distracted driving, which include:

Not responding to traffic signals. If a driver does not go on a green light, it is probably because they are doing something else and did not notice it. This is a clear warning, because if they do not notice the light change, they are unlikely to notice the car in front of them slowing down or someone cutting them off. As a personal injury lawyer in Grapevine, TX, we know that this can lead to a wreck in a matter of seconds.

Swerving. This is a tell-tale sign that most people associate with drunk driving, but distracted drivers do this as well. Texting, for example, is hard to do while driving and can easily make someone swerve into a different lane.

Speed changes. A driver should maintain a steady speed at all times unless the speed limit changes. If you observe someone that keeps speeding up and slowing down, they are likely distracted, and you should try to avoid them.

Why does this matter?

Paying attention to other drivers can protect your family. As a personal injury lawyer in Grapevine, TX, we know that there are times where you cannot see an accident coming. We also know that if you observe when a driver is distracted, you may have the opportunity to drive away from them, so if they do swerve into a lane, you can make sure it’s not yours.