Every year, distracted drivers cause many devastating accidents. Drivers lose focus behind the wheel for different reasons, such as checking their phones, conversing with passengers or trying to eat food. Sadly, this behavior significantly increases the chances of a crash that could leave victims with significant hardships, such as broken bones, immobility, financial problems and mental trauma.
It is pivotal for drivers to go over data on distracted driving accidents and injuries to understand the scope of this problem. In addition, these statistics highlight the importance of holding distracted drivers answerable.
Distracted driving causes many injuries
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, 14% of all traffic crashes that resulted in injuries over the course of 2021 involved distracted drivers. In fact, more than 362,400 people sustained injuries as a result of distracted driving crashes in 2021.
Distracted driving also leads to many fatal injuries. In 2021, these accidents accounted for the loss of more than 3,500 lives. It is important to remember that pinpointing the exact number of distracted driving accidents can prove challenging since drivers do not always report distractions in the wake of a collision.
The aftermath of a distracted driving collision
Distracted driving injuries can cause significant physical complications and pain. Additionally, they can wreak havoc on a victim’s financial life. For example, someone injured in a crash could struggle financially due to lost productivity, time off work, medical bills and property damage. Unfortunately, distracted drivers continue to cause many people to become seriously hurt in traffic collisions.