It wasn’t that long ago that drunk driving seemed to be the primary safety threat on our nation’s roads and the highways.
Over the last ten years, however, a new safety threat has emerged in the form of distracted driving. While this type of conduct can include everything from eating and adjusting car controls to grooming and dealing with crying children behind the wheel, it typically encompasses talking or texting on a smartphone while driving.
To illustrate the scope of the problem, consider that federal statistics reveal that as many as 3,328 people were killed in distracted driving-related car crashes in 2012 alone.
Closer to home, statistics from the state’s Department of Safety & Homeland Security reveals just how much of a problem distracted driving crashes are here in East Tennessee:
- Knox County: 999 in 2012; 847 in 2013; 15 in 2014
- Sullivan County: 442 in 2012; 404 in 2013; 11 in 2014
- Sevier County: 289 in 2012; 287 in 2013; 4 in 2014
- Greene County: 156 in 2012; 160 in 2013; 2 in 2014
- Washington County: 379 in 2012; 362 in 2013; 15 in 2014
- Hawkins County: 79 in 2012; 78 in 2013; 2 in 2014
- Hamblen County: 81 in 2012; 72 in 2013; 3 in 2014
- Cocke County: 80 in 2012; 72 in 2013; 5 in 2014
As you can see, even though Tennessee has passed a law banning texting by all drivers and designating it a primary offense, as well as another law banning the use of handheld smartphones by novice drivers and designating it a primary offense, distracted driving remains a very real — and often deadly — problem here in the Volunteer State.
As such, it’s important to understand that in the event you are involved in a serious car accident caused by a distracted driver, an experienced attorney can help you pursue much-needed compensation to cover everything from medical expenses and lost income to pain and suffering and loss of consortium. Remember, you are not alone during these trying times.
To find out more about your options for securing justice, please take the time to visit our firm’s distracted driving accidents page.
