When you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, there’s a degree of danger you accept. After all, traveling around at high speeds in a box made of metal and glass does pose some risk.
However, you likely also take steps to minimize that risk. You wear your seat belt. You obey all traffic signs and laws and you do you your best to get to where you’re headed safely.
Sadly, many people don’t give driving their full focus. Distracted driving can involve of lot of issues, from texting while driving to fighting with a passenger.
Any form of distraction can put the other people on the road at risk of experiencing a crash or collision caused by the distracted driver. Like with exhaustion or intoxication, distraction creates an unsafe environment on the roads.
People who cause crashes due to distraction may be legally liable for the injuries and damages they cause other people.
New York doesn’t allow texting while you drive
In an effort to reduce traffic fatalities, New York has strict laws about how to safely operate a motor vehicle.
They specifically ban certain activities, including manually holding and talking on a hand-held phone (Bluetooth ear pieces and console-based calling are legal), writing, reading, sending or otherwise focusing on text messages, emails or websites while driving, taking, viewing, or sending images or videos and playing games. Any of these distractions could be a violation of New York law.
Generally, these laws banning cellphone use and texting while driving get enforced via traffic ticket. These offenses also add points to your driving record, which could result in higher cost insurance or suspension of your license.
In the event that a distracted driver using a cellphone causes an accident, that violation of the law could open the driver up to serious liability issues around the crash.
Cellphones are not the only risk factor
People love to multi-task, even when they need to give the task at hand full focus. Too many people view driving as boring. The daily commute becomes less of a focus and more of an inconvenience.
Some people will do anything to decrease their boredom, including eating while in the car or even applying makeup or changing clothes while operating a vehicle. Even actions like adjusting the car’s temperature or changing a radio station could cause a distraction that leads to an accident.
Anything that takes your eyes and mind off of the road could lead to a serious issue. No matter how diligent you remain in your attempts to avoid distraction and drive safely, it only takes a momentary slip by someone else to cause you serious injuries and losses.