On June 15, the Travelers Institute, the public policy division of Travelers Insurance, held an Every Second Matters symposium on Capitol Hill. Its subject, distracted driving, is one that should be of interest to any New York residents who are thinking about taking a road trip this summer.
One important finding that Travelers has brought to the public’s attention is how distracted driving becomes more common in summer. It referred to the conclusion of a recent study made by TrueMotion based on sensor data gathered from its free mobile app, TrueMotion Family.
After analyzing more than 20,000 drivers and the trips they took between January 2017 and May 2018, researchers found that the time drivers spent distracted went up by nearly 10 percent in June, July and August. On average, drivers were distracted for 15 minutes out of each hour.
Incidentally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that those same three months see 29 percent more road deaths than the months of December, January and February. More people are on the road during the summer, resulting in a 20 percent increase in the number of miles driven. For drivers who want to prevent distraction and stay safe, Travelers has issued a report with practical tips.
Those who suffer car accident injuries through no fault of their own can see an attorney, and if it’s clear that the other driver was distracted, they may have the grounds for a claim. With the help of the lawyer’s professional network, victims can get ahold of the police report as well as the defendant’s cellphone records. The lawyer can then negotiate with the at-fault motorist’s auto insurance company or proceed to litigation if the offer is inadequate.
