In Grady County, Oklahoma, police determined distracted driving to be the cause of a car accident that took the life of a Lawton man in the early morning of August 14. Troopers reported that the driver was potentially reading a text message when the truck deviated from the highway, collided with a guardrail, and flipped one and a half times, according to a story by KTUL. The victim was trapped in the vehicle for about one hour before the Bridgecreek Fire Department was able to free him.
According to the National Safety Council, over 1.3 million vehicle accidents occur every year that are because of distracted driving. Distracted driving is categorized into three primary forms: 1) Visual (such as when a driver takes their eyes off of the road), 2) Manual (such as when a driver takes their hands off of the steering wheel), and 3) Mental (when a driver allows their mind to be taken away from the task of driving).
Common activities that can take a driver’s attention off the task of driving include but are not limited to the following: using a cell phone to make a call or text; eating or drinking; talking with passengers; hygiene tasks such as combing hair or applying makeup; interacting with pets; operating a GPS; and changing the radio station, CD, or mp3 track, among other activities. Daydreaming or thinking about personal problems can also be distracting. However, overall text messaging on a cell phone is considered to top the list of most dangerous activities that relate to distracted driving, as it involves all three types of distraction (visual, manual, and mental).
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a distracted driver, contact the Oklahoma car accident lawyers at The Maples Law Firm to learn more about the legal options available to you to hold the negligent driver accountable for their actions. Call (405) 705-5050 for a complimentary review of your claim.
