Orlando car accident lawyers are spending more and more time recovering losses for people injured in distracted driving accidents. Car accidents and injuries had been declining for years because of more and better safety features in cars. Seatbelts, airbags, and collision impact engineering had been steadily improving highway safety for decades.
In 1972, nearly 55,000 Americans died on the nation’s highways. Because of safety improvements, and a crackdown on drunk driving, that number had dipped to about 32,000 in 2010. Fatalities were declining at about 10% a year and It seemed that safety advocates were winning.
But that all began to change with the advent of cell phones, text messaging and other electronic distractions. Through the 2010’s, annual car accident deaths rose steadily, and last year more than 40,000 people died.
Orlando Car Accident Lawyers See Rise in Distracted Driving Cases
The Florida Highway Patrol says that accidents from distracted driving have increased by 25% since 2013, leading to hundreds of deaths across the state. There were about 370,000 car accidents in Florida last year, and more than 40,000 of these were caused by distracted driving. More than 5,500 of these distracted driving accidents happened in Orange County.
So, despite numerous public awareness campaigns and attempts to crack down, inattentive drivers continue to cause accidents, death, and injury. So, what’s to be done? It turns out that the answer to problems caused by technology might be — more technology. Nauto, a silicon valley tech company, has developed an “intelligent” driver safety system that nags drivers who aren’t paying attention. Initially for use in commercial truck fleets, the system uses cameras and sensors to make sure people behind the wheel aren’t taking their eyes off the road. If the system senses that a vehicle operator is not driving vigilantly, it emits a series of beeps. The idea is to coach and train drivers to keep eyes front and hands on the wheel.
Distracted driving causes enormous pain, suffering, injury, and loss. Drive safely. Pay attention. If another driver’s negligence has caused you harm, a good car accident lawyer can help. Consider the Orlando personal injury law firm of Martinez Manglardi. We’ve been helping accident victims recover losses for more than 30 years. We have six offices throughout Central Florida. Call 407-846-2240 for a free consultation.
