Georgia Injury Law Blog
You may have noticed an increase in your family’s auto insurance premium rates recently. Average insurance payouts around the country are increasing, and distracted driving accidents are partly to blame.
The increasing numbers of people dying in distracted driving-related accidents are causing auto insurers to raise premiums. The role of distracted driving in our traffic fatality toll cannot be overstated. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported a 14% increase in the number of fatalities last year, for a total of 40,000 across the U.S. Many experts believe that distracted driving is contributing to this spike.
Since 2011, American families have seen their average insurance premiums increase by as much as 16%, to a total of $906. Insurers say that they have no other choice but to increase premiums because of the large number of drivers involved in collisions while operating vehicles and using smart phones.
There has been a significant change in driving behavior over the past decade. In 2017, a new driver is likely already addicted to texting. That habit of texting and using the phone constantly is not an easy one to break, even if that person recognizes the dangers of using distracting technology while behind the wheel.
According to State Farm, as many as 36% of all motorists, and not just teen drivers, text while driving. Overall, Americans simply will have to get used to paying higher insurance premiums because distracted driving is an epidemic that we are not going to be able to end very soon. Gadgets are becoming easier to use, more convenient, and even more attractive for everyone, not just teenagers.
As long as American motorists are unwilling to make changes about answering a call or replying to an e-mail while driving a car, there’s no reason to believe that this spike in insurance premium prices won’t continue. Our Atlanta distracted driving attorneys are here for people injured due to serious motor vehicle collisions caused by the use of electronic devices.