Distracted Driving

Published on: October 27, 2023

Older Adults with ADHD at Higher Car Accident Risk

Seniors who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may have a significantly increased risk of being involved in car accidents.

A new study finds that it is not just teens with ADHD who may be at a higher car accident risk, but also seniors between the age of 65 and 79 who may also have elevated risks as a result of their condition. The study focused on 2,800 seniors between the age of 65 and 79 . Out of these seniors, approximately 2.8% suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a condition that is categorized by high activity levels, lower attention and concentration levels and other symptoms that make it difficult for the person to concentrate and focus attention for long periods of time.

The researchers found in their analysis that seniors who suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder had a 74% higher risk of being involved in car accidents compared to those who were not diagnosed with ADHD. They were also much more likely to be involved in violations that result in traffic tickets with a 102% higher risk of traffic violations. Seniors with ADHD also had a 7% higher risk of sudden braking incidents, which often lead to auto accidents.

Published on: September 29, 2023

Driving Anxiety and the Fear of Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The fear of being involved in an auto accident is the number one factor affecting driving anxiety and stress, but there are ways to circumvent these fears. If these fears can be overcome, it will greatly improve the lives of these individuals and is very likely lead to fewer auto accidents.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has tips for drivers who want to drive safely and responsibly without letting their fears and anxiety come in the way. Ironically enough, these anxieties and stresses may actually place drivers at a greater risk of being involved in an auto accident. Confidence and calm is key to driving safely and responsibly and when a driver is stressed about being involved in a car accident or losing control of the vehicle, it makes it more likely that he will actually cause a car accident.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, fear of being involved in a car accident is the number one factor that causes driving anxiety. We live in an age when high resolution images of catastrophic or fatal car accidents are easily available online, and if a person has seen these images, these may flash in his mind when he is driving, causing his or her heart rate to increase and his or her palms to become sweaty.

Published on: September 13, 2023

Distracted Pedestrians Have Higher Auto Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As we head towards the end of summer, pedestrians walking along Atlanta roads must remember to focus on the task of walking and avoid distractions from their cell phones and other devices to avoid car accidents. Unfortunately, too often pedestrians are seen walking across a street while looking at their cell phones or texting. This type of conduct prevents them from being alert to cars entering their paths, even when the pedestrian has the right of way.

A new study in Australia finds that texting on a cell phone while walking significantly increases a person’s risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident. The researchers divided college students into 3 groups. The first group was asked to text while sitting, while the other group was asked to walk without texting. The third group was made to text while walking on a pathway that was specifically designed for the experiment with tiles that were out of place. Not surprisingly, the researchers found that the group of persons who were texting while walking had their focus impacted by their distraction.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that close to 10% of auto accidents in the United States every year are directly linked to motorists using cell phones while driving. Other studies have found plenty of evidence that distractions also seem to place pedestrians at risk of pedestrian accidents. If you are walking while talking on your cell phone, or listening to music on your headphones, you are less likely to identify an approaching car or spot any other kind of safety cues.

Published on: September 11, 2023

Texting Ban Leads to Drop in Georgia Car Accident Rates

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A law that prohibits the use of hand cell phones while driving for Georgia motorists has possibly contributed to a drop in the number of auto accidents caused by distracted drivers in the state. Unfortunately, before the law was passed, there were a significant number of car accidents in Georgia involving persons talking and texting while driving.

According to representatives at the Georgia Governors of Highway Safety, there has been a reduction in the number of car accidents directly caused by distracted motorists since the ban was passed. The law which prohibits Georgia motorists from using a handheld cell phone to send or receive text messages or to even touch a telephone while driving was passed in 2017, and went into effect the following year.

The Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety only has statistics for the year 2021, and the data for that year seems to indicate that the number of people convicted for handheld cell phone use increased significantly after the stricter ban was enacted. There were more than 43,000 distracted driving convictions in 2021 for violation of the ban. Many of these involved people who were driving while holding their cell phones. That was a significant four -fold increase from 2017.

Published on: July 16, 2023

Increasing Senior Motorist Population in America and Safety Concerns

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Recent census data shows that America’s population is steadily getting older and the median age of the country is now at a record high. Over the next couple of decades, we can expect a significant increase in the number of senior drivers on our streets, demanding a closer look at the safety implications involved, including the increase risk of personal injuries from car accidents.

The US Census Bureau recently released estimates of the country’s population and these showed that the nation’s median age increased to 38.9 years between 2021 and 2022. That is a record high and is due to a steady decline in birth rates in the United States. The data shows that no state recorded a drop in median age during this time.

For anyone concerned about roadway safety in the country, these numbers merit interest. The data clearly indicates that there will be a significant increase in the population of senior drivers on our roads in the near future. There is no data to show that senior drivers are automatically more dangerous drivers than others. In fact, they have lower auto accident rates than many groups of drivers, including teenage drivers.

Published on: July 11, 2023

Epilepsy and Car Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

People who suffer from epilepsy may be able to drive safely provided they take all safety precautions, including taking any necessary medications, and stick to the limitations placed on them under the law. A new study, in fact, finds that an early diagnosis of epilepsy may significantly reduce car accident risks.

According to the study, as many as 5% of patients who suffer from epilepsy had suffered a seizure while driving before their diagnosis. The researchers, who include members of the American Academy of Neurology, were specifically looking at how long a person drives before he or she received an epilepsy diagnosis. They believe that it is important to push for earlier diagnosis of epilepsy in order to reduce car accident risks among these persons.

As part of the study, the researchers focused on 447 persons who suffered from focal epilepsy which is marked by recurrent seizures. They found that 23 of these people had suffered a seizure while driving. About 26% suffered their first seizure while driving while around 30% had suffered more than one seizure while driving. In all, these seizures resulted in 19 auto accidents with 11 of these car accidents requiring hospitalization.

Published on: July 6, 2023

Experts: Size and Speed — Key Factors When Choosing Car for a Teen Driver

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

While many teen drivers operate their cars safely, other teen drivers have an enhanced risk of auto accidents. Therefore, parent must be careful when it comes to buying a car for their teenager.

Whether you are buying a car for a newly licensed teen driver or a car for a teen driver with a couple years driving experience under their belt, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Consumer Reports have a list of the safest cars to buy for teen motorists in America. The list contains both used as well as new cars, and the researchers have gone to great lengths to find affordable cars considering the high price of cars in the market right now.

So what do you look for when you buy a car for your young driver? For most parents, the biggest considerations are price and safety. The list provides several options of care that should be within your budget, but also relatively safe.

Published on: May 10, 2023

Could Poor Police Enforcement be Linked to Auto Accident Spike?

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

While there have been many theories for the disturbing rise in auto accident wrongful deaths across the country, one under examined factor is now under the scanner. Experts believe that a drop in police enforcement since just before the pandemic is possibly partly responsible for a spike in car accident deaths.

Car accident deaths in 2022 were as much as 18% higher than the numbers in 2019. They have continued to increase, spiking even during the pandemic when vehicular traffic volumes were at all time lows. During a time when American roads should have been safest, they were actually even more dangerous than before the pandemic with normal traffic volumes. This phenomenon was also uniquely American. Most Western countries did not report increases in car accident deaths during the pandemic. Many, in fact, actually saw a drop in car accident rates as a result of lockdowns and lower traffic volumes.

There have been a number of theories that have been espoused as reasons for the increase in car accident deaths in the United States. From an increase in speeding to larger volumes of distracted drivers, experts believe that a combination of factors has led to a spike in the number of people being killed in car accidents. However, one particular factor has not received a lot of attention and NPR recently addressed this. The report by NPR says that a drop in police enforcement across the country is at least partly responsible for the spike in car accident deaths.

Published on: May 4, 2023

More than 3500 People Killed in Distracted Driving Car Accidents in 2021

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that more than 3500 people were killed in car accidents caused by distracted drivers in 2021. This April, the federal administration plans to raise awareness about the dangers of driving while distracted.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is making the month of April — Distracted Driving Awareness Month. As part of its campaign, the agency released statistics which show that a total of 3,522 people were killed in auto accidents caused by distracted drivers in 2021. The statistics show that an ongoing effort against distracted driving is absolutely necessary. As part of the campaign, there will be increased enforcement on Georgia roads as law enforcement officers look out for persons using cell phones while driving.

The campaign will also focus on friends and families of drivers and their role in helping prevent distracted driving. If you are driving and need to answer a phone call or have to respond to a text message, get your passenger to do so for you. If you are driving alone and need to respond to a text, pull over somewhere safe and return the call or the text message. Under no circumstances should you be typing a message or making a phone call as you drive.

Published on: January 30, 2023

Car Accident Wrongful Deaths Drop Slightly in First 9 Months of 2022

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Statistics seem to show a slight drop in the number of people killed in car accidents across the country during the first 9 months of 2022, compared to the same period of time the previous year. However, the number of people killed in pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents increased over the same period of time.

New statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show a very slight drop in auto accident fatalities in the first 9 months of last year, compared to the same period of time in 2019. A total of 31,785 people were killed in car accidents between January and September 2022, compared to the previous year. That was a 0.2% drop. The bad news, however, is that bicycle accident and pedestrian accident wrongful deaths continued to rise over the first 9 months of 2022 as they have for several years now.

Car accident deaths across the country and in Georgia have been at elevated levels since 2020 when the pandemic struck and lock downs were imposed. In spite of a drop in traffic volumes with few people driving on the streets, the number of auto accidents began to spike, confounding experts. Since then, we have learned that auto accident numbers began to rise in 2020 because of reckless driving behaviors, including speeding. With lower traffic volumes on the road, motorists became much more comfortable driving at high speeds, and those behaviors have continued since then. Additionally, the lack of enforcement campaigns during this time also meant more numbers of people driving without wearing their seatbelts or driving under the influence of alcohol, contributing to those high statistics.