The advances made in phone technology has quickly made Tennessean’s easier and more convenient. There are so many things that people can do on their phones that used to require a trip to the store or putting something in the mail. Also, it has made getting to new locations much easier, as most phones have GPS capable of giving turn-by-turn directions while driving. The phones now also allow people to communicate with others at any time and in any location that the person has service.
The things phones can do make life easier and more convenient, although they can also be very distracting. People can constantly be looking up something on a website or texting other people to stay in communication with them, even when they are trying to complete another task. There are situations where this is not appropriate, though, and others when it is very dangerous to do so. The human eyes can only really focus on one thing at a time. So, if individuals are looking at their phones, then they are not looking at what is going on around them. This makes using a phone especially dangerous when people are driving.
Distracted driving, which can include more than just phone use, causes many car accidents each year. However, as smart phones have become more popular and advanced, the number of car accidents caused by distracted driving has significantly increased in Tennessee. In 2007, there were a total of 10,347 car accidents caused by distracted driving. In 2017, distracted driving was the cause of 24,777 accidents. That is a more than doubling of distracted driving accidents over the course of a decade.
As the statistics demonstrate, there are many car accidents in Tennessee caused by distracted driving. These statistics do not show how these accidents affect the victims though, which can be devastating. The victims of these accidents can suffer serious injuries that are painful, expensive to treat, and time consuming to heal. Fortunately, these victims may be entitled to compensation, which may be recoverable if they successfully pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver who caused their wreck. By consulting with an experienced attorney, these victims may be able to develop a legal strategy that leaves them well-positioned to recover their damages
Source: Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, “Tennessee Distracted Driver Traffic Crashes by Year and County 2007 – 2017” accessed on April 2, 2018