Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
The number one cause of workplace fatalities is traffic accidents. And one of the leading causes of these kinds of accidents is distracted driving, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). As a matter of fact, researchers report that it’s the cause of one out of every four car accidents. It’s become a national epidemic!
Our Pahokee injury lawyers understand that there are specific steps that employers can take to help to make sure that their driving employees aren’t facing such high risks. One of the first, and most important, things that an employer can do is enact a Cell Phone Policy Kit.
Employers have realized the dangers and the risks of cell phone usage behind the wheel. Now they’re being urged to take the appropriate actions to help to make our roadways safer by implementing comprehensive cell phone policies within the workplace.
Don’t think it’s a serious problem? You’d be surprised with some of the stats. Distracted driving affects us all.
If something is urgent and needs attention via phone call or text message, it’s imperative that drivers pull over, come to a complete stop and then handle the matter. The average text message takes about 4.5 second to read/reply. During this time, when traveling 55 miles per hour, a driver can travel the entire length of a football field without ever looking at the road. When you do that while driving a semi or other kind of large, commercial vehicle, you’ve got a sure recipe for disaster!
According to the NSC, there were close to 35,000 people killed in motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. in 2010. These accidents are the number one cause of work-related fatalities and account for about a quarter of all fatal occupational injuries. These kinds of accidents aren’t cheap either. Per crash, property damage accidents cost an employer an average of $24,500. Injury accidents cost close to $200,000.
And the risks for distracted driving car accidents have skyrocketed. Put it this way — there are more cell phone subscriptions in the U.S. than there are people living here.
Distracted Driving Quick Stats:
-Nearly 25 percent of car accidents that happened in the U.S. in 2010 involved a driver who was using a cell phone at the time of the accident.
-More than 1 million traffic accidents involved a driver on a cell phone.
-Nearly 200,000 traffic accidents were the result of driving while text messaging.
With the intense publicity surrounding cell phone distracted driving in recent years, it would be virtually impossible for employers and workers to argue that everyone’s not aware of the dangers. Beyond safety issues, employers are now being held tegally responsible.
If you or your loved one has been the victim of a car accident, contact Freeman, Mallard, Sharp, & Gonzalez at 1-800-561-7777 for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.
More Blog Entries:
Speeding a Top Accident Cause to Avoid in 2013, Fort Lauderdale car Accident Attorney Blog, December 31, 2012
Resolve to Be a Better Driver This New Years, Fort Lauderdale car Accident Attorney Blog, December 30, 2012