Georgia Distracted Driving Attorneys Announce Hierarchy of Distractions in Modern Vehicles

Even the most modest car on the market these days has all of the bells and whistles anyone could ever want in a car. All of the electronics within arm’s length help make riding in a carmore enjoyable. However,that screen to which you can connect your smartphone so you can text by voice, use the phone hands-free, navigate, and change to any one of the hundreds of radio stations is a tremendous distraction. Notwithstanding the fact that these computers come with applications that can reduce your distractions such blocking notifications while driving or receiving voice-only test messages, the screens in our vehicles prevent us from doing the only thing we should be doing: actively watching the road.

At Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law, our Georgia distracted driving attorneys to knowwhat evidence to look for when an accident occurs due to distracted driving. Our Atlanta distracteddriving lawyers have handled numerous claims involving distractedoperationin Georgia. They understand the frustration victims of distracted drivers feel in the aftermath of an accident knowing that the event that altered the victims’ lives could have been preventedif the driver just watched what he or she was doing.  

The American Automobile Association (AAA) recently released a hierarchy of the items that can play a considerable role distracting the drivers. In an ideal world, people would solely focus on the task of driving. That is not realistic. Driving can be a mundane, infuriating, and even lonely job. Most drivers need something to break the monotony. However,even the most passive tasks in which we can engage while driving such as talking with other people in the car or listening to the radio can steal some of our attention away from the road. 

According to AAA, the following list of activities in which drivers commonly engage while operating a carrates the driver’s distraction level from lowest to highest. 

• The lowestamount of distraction: listening to the radio;
• Moderate level of distraction: talking on a cell phone;
• High degree of distraction: texting and emailing; and
• The highestamount of distraction: operating a GPS application.

The problem with many of the handsfree devices and applications is the false sense of security they create. Onlybecause you can use your voice instead of your hands to drive, does not mean that you are paying rapt attention to the road. Using voice activation simply meansthat you are taking your mental concentration away from the task upon which you should be focusing and diverting it to something else. However, we feel safer because our hands remain on the steering wheel. Merely holding the steering wheel does not ensure safety. A driver could fall asleep while holding the wheel with two hands and no one would argue that you are driving safely. 

The false sense of security also comes into play if we keep our eyes on the road. Again, we can talk without watching our mouths, butonce we start that mental process of activating an electronic device by voice, we are no longer paying attention to driving even if we are “watching where we are going.” Watching the road is not a passive activity. The brain must process what the eyes see. Without the brainprocessing what is within your field of vision, you might as well be driving with your eyes closed.

Put Our Law Firm's Over 39 Years Of Legal Experience To Work For Your Case!

If you have been injured in any type of accident caused by someone else’s negligence, call Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law for your free consultation today. Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law has been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and in the Southeast for over 39 years, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state.

No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour live chat. 

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Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law

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Atlanta, GA 30329
Telephone: 1 (800) LAW-NEED
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