There are different types of Tennessee distracted driving habits that all lead to car accidents. Visual, Manual, and Cognitive Distractions are three categories for all types of distracted driving. The CDC* has identified these three categories to determine the different types of habits drivers can fall victim to.
It is very important as a driver to not participate in distracted driving habits. But if you ever find yourself a victim after a Tennessee car accident caused by a distracted driver, you are deserved compensation.
Visual Distractions
Anything that causes the driver’s eyes to not be on the road. This could be sending a text message, observing a crash or something on the side of the road, or looking at passengers in your vehicle. When operating a motor vehicle, whether a semi-truck or Tesla, you should pay attention to the road and the other vehicles driving around you.
Tennessee Hands Free Law is a law that addresses the distracted driving problem in Tennessee. The law references statistics that have deemed Tennessee as having the highest rate of distracted driving deaths in the United States. In 2020, there were over 20,000 car accidents caused by distracted driving.
Manual Distractions
Manual distractions are encompassing distractions that make drivers take their hands off the wheel. Activities, like eating, drinking, applying makeup or shaving your face, and even changing the radio or song, are all considered manual distractions. Taking your hands off the wheel while driving puts yourself and others at a high risk of an accident occurring.
It is very important for drivers to keep both hands on the wheel, especially when driving through places where there is high traffic. For example, in a school zone, drivers should have both hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road because there are students crossing the road and walking on the sidewalks. Pedestrians suffer the most from distracted drivers.
Cognitive Distractions
The most dangerous types of driving distractions are ones that are considered to be cognitive distractions. Distractions that take your mind off the road and the act of driving are the hardest to describe and define. Things like daydreaming, having an intense conversation with a passenger or over the phone, or even singing/dancing to music.
Driving requires drivers to be fully aware of their surroundings mentally and physically. Road rage is another major type of cognitive distraction that causes many Tennessee car accidents. It is crucial for drivers to try and remain calm when driving, as driving when angry will cause drivers to speed and make unsafe choices.
Victims of Tennessee Distracted Driving Car Accidents
Pursuing a distracted driving claim with a personal injury law firm is never a lost cause; there are ways to prove that someone was distracted while driving. With the use of the Tennessee distracted driving law, car accident injury lawyers will be able to prove that sending a text or being on a mobile device for any reason. Cell phones being a common distraction, our Tennessee car accident attorneys know exactly what to do when faced with this type of case.
Since Tennessee distracted driving car accidents are more harmful, seeking medical attention for injuries should be the top priority. Gathering information from the defendant and making sure the police officer arrives on the scene will greatly help your attorney gather information about your case.
* Source: Distracted Driving
About the Author
Michael Feiner
Michael A. Feiner is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Steinger, Greene & Feiner. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001, Michael has devoted his practice to representing plaintiffs throughout Florida in various tort and strict liability cases and has successfully litigated cases against national insurance companies, large public companies, and governmental agencies, resulting in tens of millions of dollars for his clients.
He has handled all types of personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of plaintiffs, including automobile negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability, dog bites, and sexual harassment. Michael’s product liability case against Microsoft, as well as his representation of victims of sexual harassment and abuse by physicians, has garnered him important media attention at both the local and national levels.
Michael is an experienced trial lawyer and successfully argued an appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. In the reported decision Ortlieb v. Butts, 849 So.2d 1165 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003), Michael persuaded the Fourth District Court of Appeal that a directed verdict on liability was appropriate where the defendant did not rebut the presumption of negligence of a rear driver in a rear-end collision.
Michael Feiner
Michael A. Feiner is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Steinger, Greene & Feiner. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 2001, Michael has devoted his practice to representing plaintiffs throughout Florida in various tort and strict liability cases and has successfully litigated cases against national insurance companies, large public companies, and governmental agencies, resulting in tens of millions of dollars for his clients. He has handled all types of personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of plaintiffs, including automobile negligence, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability, dog bites, and sexual harassment. Michael’s product liability case against Microsoft, as well as his representation of victims of sexual harassment and abuse by physicians, has garnered him important media attention at both the local and national levels. Michael is an experienced trial lawyer and successfully argued an appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. In the reported decision Ortlieb v. Butts, 849 So.2d 1165 (Fla. 4th DCA 2003), Michael persuaded the Fourth District Court of Appeal that a directed verdict on liability was appropriate where the defendant did not rebut the presumption of negligence of a rear driver in a rear-end collision.