For Many Young Drivers, Driving is a Great Time for Screen Time
Technology evolves, and modern technology is creating more driver distractions every day. A recent survey found teen drivers knew distracted driving is dangerous, but spend about 20% of their time behind the wheel on their smartphones anyway.
Distracted drivers are a common cause of vehicle accidents. If you or a family member is severely injured or killed by a distracted driver, you may be entitled to compensation. To learn more about your legal rights and how Satterley & Kelley, PLLC can help, call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532.
Is Using a Phone While Driving Illegal in Kentucky?
State law prohibits texting for drivers of all ages while the vehicle is in motion. For those 18 and older, the use of global positioning devices and reading, selecting, or entering a number or name to make a call is permitted.
For drivers under 18, using personal communication devices while the vehicle is in motion is illegal. Using a global positioning system is allowed, but entering information into the device must be done when the vehicle is stopped.
Teen Drivers Use Smartphones to Entertain Themselves While Driving
Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers had more than 1,100 US teen drivers complete a questionnaire about phone use while driving. They also interviewed 20 high school drivers in person. The survey results were recently published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention.
Most respondents indicated they understood the dangers of distracted driving, but they also reported spending 21.1% of their car trips on their smartphones. On average, that means they’re interacting with their phones for one out of every five minutes driving. More than a quarter (26.5%) stated they focused on their phone for at least two seconds.
Why all this time on their phones? Respondents stated the following:
- 65% of the time was spent on entertainment
- 40% of the time was spent texting
- 30% of the time was spent on navigation
The fact that drivers need to be entertained shouldn’t be surprising. How many of us listen to music, podcasts, or talk radio while we drive? Chevrolet introduced the first radio-equipped car more than a hundred years ago, according to Techhistorian.
Today’s technology adds video, so we can not only engage our ears, but also our eyes, when we drive. Phone calls, video calls, and texts also require mental and physical effort to engage with someone else.
Distracted Driving by the Numbers
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that the distance you travel for five seconds while driving at 55 mph is about the length of a football field.
There are many dangers you could encounter in that space, from vehicles cutting into your lane, someone suddenly stopping in front of you, or you might start drifting into another lane without realizing it. Being distracted and unaware of what’s going on while all this happens could easily cause an accident and severe or fatal injuries for yourself and others.
NHTSA also reports that about 324,819 people were involved in distracted-driving-related accidents in 2023, causing 3,275 deaths. That’s about 890 crashes daily related to distracted driving involving the equivalent of more than half of Louisville’s population.
What This Means for Your Insurance Claim or Lawsuit
Insurance policies cover potential liabilities, which are legally required payments because of an obligation. That obligation could be owing compensation to someone harmed by the insured’s negligence.
Negligence is the legal theory behind nearly all vehicle accident and personal injury claims. The plaintiff (the party filing the lawsuit) has the burden of proving the following:
- Due to the relationship between the defendant (the party sued) and you (you’re using the same roadway near each other at the same time), they have a legal obligation or duty to do or not do something, given the situation
- The defendant failed that obligation or breached that duty
- That breach or failure is the factual and legal (or proximate) accident cause
- The accident caused you harm
- Under Kentucky law, the defendant must pay your damages (a measure of your injury in dollars)
Someone driving down a Kentucky road or highway has a legal obligation to do so reasonably safely. Using a smartphone while driving is not reasonable, given the distractions it causes and the increased risk of an accident, especially if the driver is an inexperienced teen who is a poor judge of risk.
If we can prove that the driver’s phone use and the resulting distractions led to the accident causing your injuries, you may have a strong case that an insurance company would be willing to settle for an acceptable amount.
Speak To a Satterley & Kelley, PLLC Vehicle Accident Injury Lawyer Today
If you’re the victim of an accident caused by a distracted driver, Satterley & Kelley PLLC attorneys can protect your interests and rights to compensation for your injuries and losses. Call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation with a Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyer.