Minnesota residents may be interested to hear that for the last couple of decades, the statistics have shown that each year fewer people were being injured or killed in car crashes in the United States. It can be hard to know where to attribute credit for such encouraging statistics. It could be improved safety features in vehicles, public awareness campaigns to combat drunk driving or more restrictive licensing laws in many states. Unfortunately, however, the trend is beginning to reverse itself.
According to a recent report, in 2016 there were a reported 40,200 people killed on American roadways. That number is 14 percent higher than the number from 2014. And, just like there could have been a variety of reasons for the decades-long trend of decreases in these figures, there may be multiple reasons for the recent increase. But, one reason may be more of a problem than others: texting and driving.
Car accidents that are caused by drivers who are texting and driving shouldn’t come as a surprise to our readers in Minnesota. After all, the recent report noted that approximately 40 percent of drivers have reported having read an email or text while driving.
The victims of a car accident that was caused by a distracted driver should know that they may have an opportunity to pursue financial compensation from the negligent party. No one wants to become “a statistic,” but more people run the risk of this when the millions of smartphone users in this country don’t learn to put the phone away and concentrate on driving.
Source: USA Today, “Texting while driving hurts everyone: Our view,” Feb. 27, 2017