In its second annual distracted driving study, Root Insurance unveiled certain behaviors and tendencies that should alarm drivers in Ohio. For example, 99% of respondents acknowledged that phones are among the top three driver distractions, yet the study found that these drivers use their phones an average of 13 minutes a day.
Approximately 52% said they are most often distracted by group chats while 33% mentioned social media like memes and newsfeeds. About 18% said that streaming videos, such as shows and movie trailers, distract them the most. At the same time, 38% of drivers who check their phones said they do not put down their devices when law enforcement is around.
About 29% admitted to driving without hands on the steering wheel; they would instead use another body part like the knees or chin. Other distractions, this time not related to phones, that respondents admitted to included putting on makeup, shaving, playing with a pet and changing clothes while driving.
Respondents were intolerant of distracted driving in others with 89% saying they would give a bad rating to Uber or Lyft drivers who texted while on the road. Of those, 39% said they have done so before. About 90% considered themselves safer behind the wheel than Uber or Lyft drivers.
Whatever the reasons behind distracted driving, it remains a form of negligence. Those who are injured by a distracted driver may want to see a Columbus, Ohio, auto accident injuries compensation attorney and see whether they can file a personal injury claim. Even those who are partially to blame for a crash may still be eligible under this state’s comparative negligence rule. The lawyer might hire investigators to gather proof of the other’s guilt before heading to negotiations. If a settlement cannot be reached, victims may litigate.