With the increase in car accidents, more people are reporting injuries which have been caused due to the negligence of the other party and this has made us research a little deeper into the possible causes of the increased car accident cases. while most have attributed car accidents to the use of cell phones while driving leading to driver distraction while behind the wheels, others have significantly pegged the increase on drunk driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a report released noted that most car accidents, including those in New York City, can be traced to the operators of the motor vehicles themselves which means that there are less likely cases of defective products.
According to the report, an increased number of the accidents can be traced to the negligence or wrongdoing of the driver which constitutes operator error thus absolving the manufacturers of any fault should a claim be pursued by the injured party.
Further to this, the New York City Police Department noted that there have been over 17.500 accident cases reported in the city as of March 19, 2019, with a potential of significant increase before the year runs out. These reported accident cases, however, encompass all major accidents such as car accident, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and more.
The New York City Police Department further revealed the most common causes of these accidents in the city to include:
1. Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is one of the biggest factors that has led to an increase in accident cases over the years. Distracted driving is negligence on the part of the driver that can lead to loss of concentration on the road. Distracted driving can be as a result of using a cellphone while driving in the form of calls or texting, it also could be as a result of trying to pick objects that have fallen below the screen levels. In other cases, a driver may attempt to operate the stereo and take their eyes off the road leading in an accident. generally, the increase in cases of distracted driving can be attributed to the use of cellphones, tablets, music devices and more. in other cases, it may also be caused by sleep deprivation or when the driver is lost in thought.While many states permit the use of cellphones for voice communication, most states frown upon having such a device in your hand. These regulations apply to all drivers in the state and also comes with additional regulations including:
- Drivers are expected to make use of hands-free devices
- Drivers can make use of their handheld devices if it is attached to a mounting platform, cable or connection like GPS.
- Drivers may be allowed to make use of a handheld device only in the case of an emergency.
- In New York City, texting while behind the wheels is considered a primary offense.
