Amarillo Distracted Driving Accident Attorney

Texas Distracted Driving Auto Accident Claims

At Wood Law Firm, LLP, we fight to hold negligent motorists accountable for the harm and injuries they cause. Our Amarillo distracted driving accident attorneys are ready to represent your best interests and fight for the maximum compensation you are owed. If you were injured by a distracted driver, we can help.

Distracted driving is a huge problem throughout the United States, including in Texas where distracted driving contributed to 97,782 motor vehicle crashes in 2019 alone, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. Of those accidents, 335 were fatal, and 2,060 led to suspected serious injuries. Another 9,211 led to non-incapacitating injuries.

Tragically, all of these accidents could have—and should have—been prevented. Distracted driving is a clear form of negligence, as people who text, eat, or daydream behind the wheel have chosen to ignore their responsibility to pay attention, follow the law, and keep others on the road safe.

Contact us online or call our office at (806) 304-0447 today to get started with a free, no-obligation consultation. 

What Makes Distracted Driving So Dangerous?

Driving while distracted is incredibly dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), taking your eyes off the road for as little as five seconds—say to read a text message—while traveling at 55 mph means you will drive the length of a full football field without looking at what’s in front of you.

Distracted driving causes a driver to be unable to react in time to changing road conditions, such as slowed traffic or stopped vehicles ahead. A distracted driver may fail to see that a signal has gone from green to red, or they may not notice a sharp curve in the road.

They may swerve into other lanes of traffic, hit center dividers, or even cross into oncoming traffic. All of this can have disastrous—and even deadly—consequences.

Types of Distracted Driving

We all know that driving while distracted is very dangerous, but what exactly constitutes “distracted driving?”

Generally speaking, a distracted driver is anyone who:

• Removes his or her eyes from the road
• Removes his or her hand(s) from the steering wheel
• Does not give his or her full attention to the task of driving

Distractions are categorized into three types: visual distractions, manual distractions, and cognitive distractions. But, often, a distracted driver is not engaging in just one type of distraction, but two or three.

Examples of common driver distractions include:

• Reading or sending a text
• Talking on a handheld cell phone
• Looking at a GPS or maps app
• Talking to a passenger
• Looking down at the radio
• Reaching down for an item
• Turning to attend to a passenger in the backseat
• Looking at billboards, roadway signs, accidents, etc.
• Eating or drinking
• Daydreaming

These are just some examples of how a driver can become distracted while behind the wheel of a car or motor vehicle, but any action that takes the driver’s attention away from the task of driving is considered a distraction.