As part of your employment, you may have been issued a company cellphone. While this makes work easier, some people in the Fayetteville area may feel like due to having a company cellphone they are always “on call” and simply cannot ignore the ding of a text message or the ringing of the phone. This can be dangerous, especially if a worker tries to talk on the phone or text while driving.
Distracted driving can lead to car accidents
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drivers who use a cellphone to text while behind the wheel are engaging in the three main types of distractions. First, they are looking at their phone not the road — a visual distraction. Second, their hands are off the steering wheel and on their phones — a manual distraction. Third, their mind is on the text message rather than the task of driving — a cognitive distraction. With this in mind, it is easy to see how texting and driving can lead to car accidents.
How big is the distracted driving problem?
According to the CDC, in 2018 5% of all auto accidents in the U.S. involved a distracted driver. Distracted driving crashes lead to 2,841 fatalities in 2018. Pedestrians and cyclists were also in danger, as 506 lost their lives in collisions involving a distracted driver.
Avoid using your work cellphone while driving
While it is tempting to answer your work cellphone while driving or reply to a text message, distracted driving is a danger to others on the road. Those in the Fayetteville area who have been injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver will want to determine what their legal options are, including filing a legal claim if appropriate.