Driver Distractions
Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 363
As one drives on the main roads throughout Alabama the Beautiful, it is a given that you will encounter other drivers. A quick glance at surrounding drivers is always quite interesting. The diverse and sundry activites that take place while one is operating her/his vehicle is, at times, sadly astounding. I have witnessed individuals applying make up with one hand and talking on a cell phone with the other. As amazing as this is in and of itself, this particular driver is usually fixated on a mirror to be sure that the make-up is applied just right. I have seen drivers dial cell phones with one hand while the other hand is brandishing a cigarette that I am sure is oh so smooth and satisfying especially on a 95 degree day.
Let's face it, we all multi task while we drive. We email, text, apply mascara, shave, work out, fold laundry, practice karate, sing, dance, etc., all while we carry on face to face conversations with an individual in the back seat. We tend to get annoyed when the inconvenience of actually having to concentrate and drive gets in the way of putting the finishing touches on the souffle' we are whipping up in the front seat.
During car wreck case depositions I am rarely surprised to learn what activities were taking place in a car right before impact. The problem is they do take place and they do contribute to wrecks and injuries. We all have great demands on our time and we have to do innumerable things at one time. However, if operating your car, SUV, truck, etc., involves using anyother body part other than both hands, then it is not driving. It is asking for trouble. We all know better and need to refrain from doing anything other than drive when we drive.