The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there’s a 20 percent increase in the number of miles traveled every summer. This makes sense because more people are out on vacations and holiday celebrations. At the same time, NHTSA states that the months of June, July and August witness a 29 percent increase in the number of road deaths. Louisiana residents may wonder what the main factor behind it is.According to the Travelers Institute, that main factor is distracted driving. During its newly launched Every Second Matters™ event, which took place on Capitol Hill back in June, Travelers referred to some recent data from the smartphone telematics platform TrueMotion.
Researchers analyzed sensor data from a distracted driving app called TrueMotion Family, covering the period of January 2017 to May 2018. In total, more than 20,000 drivers were analyzed for 8.4 million trips. They were found to look down at their phones the most during summertime. In fact, from June to August they spent an average of 15 minutes out of every hour on the road distracted.
Around the same time as the symposium, Travelers issued a report that explores these trends and provides safe driving tips. Travelers has stated that it wants the public to be as aware of distracted driving as it is of driving drunk and neglecting to wear a seat belt.
Drivers are responsible for the control of their vehicles. Taking the eyes off the road, even to adjust the radio, can lead to motor vehicle accidents. Victims of such accidents who are left with extensive medical bills and vehicle repair costs can consult with a lawyer about filing a claim against the negligent driver’s auto insurance company.