Distracted Driving Can Often Lead to Car Accidents: Violations and Damages That You Need to Be Aware Of!

If you live in San Diego, you must be aware that freeways like I-5, SR-163, I-8, and I-15, aside from local streets, are where the most distracted driving occurs. Such car accidents are usually devastating. Victims who are involved in such accidents usually suffer from injuries that are usually life-altering, attract high medical bills, loss of income, and, not to mention, lifelong suffering from pain. All these incidents occur due to a driver’s negligence, causing such severe damage. 

What falls within the purview of distracted driving?

Expert car accident attorneys in San Diego consider the following instances as distracted driving. Generally speaking, any activity that distracts the driver from driving safely is considered a distraction. There are three categories into which distraction has been segregated. These are as follows:

• Visual distractions – When the driver’s eyes are off the road and not on it.
• Manual distractions – An instance when both or one hand must be removed from the wheel to carry out some work. 
• Cognitive distractions – When the driver is not focusing, anything that diverts their mind from proper driving. 

You will find that there are a few incidents that fall into more than one category, rendering them even more dangerous. For instance, when you text, it involves cognitive, manual, and visual distractions simultaneously. Studies reveal that a driver who looks at his phone for only five seconds while driving at 55 miles per hour has driven the distance of an entire football field, even without taking a look at the road. 

California law on using a cell phone and texting while driving

The California Law has taken stringent measures to curtail distracted driving. This applies particularly to the use of a handheld cell phone. The laws are vital for the San Diego drivers, where there is:

• Heavy pedestrian traffic.
• Intersections are busy.
• There is congestion on the freeway.

These instances result in high-risk distractions that cause crashes. Under California Vehicle Code §23123, drivers are prohibited from using handheld cell phones while driving a motor vehicle. You can receive calls only using hands-free technology, such as Bluetooth or a speakerphone. Even under these conditions, you or the driver must be able to operate the system without diverting their attention from the road. 

As per California Vehicle Code §23123.5, it prevents drivers from texting while driving. It includes sending, reading, or writing any text-based communication while the phone is in your hands. It is not restricted to text messages but also to social media updates, emails, and other electronic communications. 

If you are under 18, the norms are even stricter. They are not allowed to use any electronic device while driving, even if it is in hands-free mode. 

Violating the above codes can attract fines, but more crucially, they can serve as strong evidence of negligence in any civil personal injury case involving car accidents. 

If you are a victim of a car crash in which the driver is found to have violated the law or code by using a cell phone, it can establish liability, and you are entitled to receive compensation. 

How can distracted driving cause damage? 

The following scenarios are related to distracted driving:

• Intersection accidents.
• Rear-end collisions.
• Side swipe and lane change crashes.
• High-speed freeway crashes.
• Pedestrian and bicycle collisions.

However, the main problem is that in most distracted-driving cases, the driver will not accept that the crash was due to negligence. Under such circumstances, seeking the assistance of a skilled car accident lawyer is crucial. Law firms like hhjtrialattorneys.com have been handling dozens of such cases every quarter and have helped victims establish their cases.