Is Distracted Driving Still a Top Cause of Car Wrecks?

 Posted on February 21, 2025 in Car accidents

In 2023, 94,410 Texas motor vehicle crashes involved a distracted driver, with 18,549 happening in Bexar County. Nationwide figures for 2022 show that 289,310 injuries and 3,308 fatalities were related to distracted driving. Whether a distraction comes from inside or outside a vehicle, distracted driving is dangerous.

If you were injured in a traffic accident caused by a distracted driver, our skilled San Antonio, TX personal injury lawyer can fight to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.

Why Is Distracted Driving Dangerous?

Every driver has a duty of care to drive safely and avoid careless behaviors that endanger others on the road. To uphold that duty, drivers need to keep their eyes on the road, hands on the steering wheel, minds focused on driving, and ears open to hear sirens, horns, and other traffic noises that could indicate danger. Distractions are anything that keeps a driver from doing those things and can be:

• Audible: loud sound systems or using earbuds that block traffic sounds

• Cognitive: daydreaming, discussions with passengers, phone calls

• Manual: hands-on electronics usage, eating, smoking, drinking, grooming, reaching for an object in the car

• Visual: watching social media videos, rubbernecking at accident scenes, reading emails or texts

Being able to react quickly to changing traffic situations is a key factor in safe driving. Drivers who cannot react fast enough due to various distractions often cause preventable accidents through their negligence.

Texting while driving is one of the most dangerous forms of driver distraction, as it involves cognitive, manual, and visual distractions. It takes approximately five seconds to read or send a text. At 55 mph, texting is similar to traveling the length of a football field blindfolded.

Because distracted drivers are slow to react to constantly evolving traffic conditions, many of these crashes happen at higher speeds. Some accidents are avoidable if drivers make course corrections, but again, delayed reaction times can prevent evasive maneuvers.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer for a Distracted Driving Crash?

To collect compensation, you need evidence establishing that someone else’s negligence caused your wreck. Investigating your crash to find that evidence takes resources and skill. Your attorney can thoroughly investigate your collision, which could involve reviewing witness statements, obtaining information from vehicle event data recorders, getting video footage, and conducting an accident reconstruction.

We also understand how insurance companies typically act when faced with paying claims. They may try to disqualify you from recovering compensation by accusing you of too much fault for causing your crash, and they almost always offer extremely low settlement amounts. Your lawyer will protect your interests and work toward maximizing your compensation.

Call Our Respected Austin, TX Car Accident Lawyer

If a distracted driver caused an accident that harmed you, our dedicated Bexar County, TX personal injury attorney at Alford Law PLLC can help you secure the full compensation you deserve. Call 210-951-9467 now to arrange your free consultation. If you prefer, you can request your case review online. We only get paid if we win your case.