Studies conducted in the 2014-2018 period showed a steep growth in the number of accidents happening across Georgia, especially in large cities like Atlanta. Atlanta, in particular, showed more than 60,000 motor vehicle collision cases a year; a number deemed too high by experts.
There are several prominent causes of car accidents in Atlanta, but the majority of accidents happened because drivers got distracted. Distracted driving car accidents are also on the rise in the city, and further steps are needed to lower the number of cases in the long run.
Common Distractions
Distracted driving is a serious problem that often gets neglected. There are a lot of distractions that could cause drivers to lose focus when driving, and many of them are mundane, unnecessary things to do inside the car.
Smoking is among the top 10 distractions faced by drivers. Drivers who smoke are more likely to be involved in an accident that those who don’t smoke while driving. As mentioned before, smoking is a fairly mundane thing to do while driving, which makes it a distraction.
Eating and drinking are also classified as common causes of accidents related to distracted driving. Cars are equipped with cupholders but reaching to get a drink or grabbing a meal stored in the glovebox are big enough distractions to cause accidents.
Passengers are rated as among the most distracting elements of driving. Talking to passengers and passengers doing things in the car are very distracting for drivers. A split-second distraction is more than enough to cause an accident.
External and Internal Distractions
Distractions don’t just come from inside the car. While common causes such as the use of a smartphone and using other devices while driving are also classified as common causes of accidents, they are far from being the only distractions affecting drivers across the city.
External distractions are just as dangerous. Pedestrians and objects moving close to the car can distract drivers enough. It only takes a few seconds for such distractions to cause an accident. Distractions are even more dangerous when combined with a bad driving attitude.
“Looking away and losing focus for 3 to 4 seconds are more than enough to get you to the point of no return in an accident,” according to Stephen Hasner, a personal injury law attorney in Atlanta, GA. The statistics point to a similar conclusion.
Further Steps Are Needed
It is clear that steps need to be taken in order to lower the number of accidents caused by distracted driving. City officials are actively promoting safe driving courses and recommending drivers to pay more attention while driving. Minimizing distractions is something that can be done by everyone.
Fortunately, the most common distractions are easy to eliminate. By actively directing focus to the road and making driving your first priority, distracted driving car accidents can be entirely avoided. The effect of eliminating distractions is also amplified when everyone is taking the same active steps. The roads of Atlanta – and Georgia in general – will be safer this way.
