Distracted Driving and Drowsy Driving Cause Accidents
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have calculated that distracted driving results in nine deaths and over 1,000 car accident injuries every day. Likewise, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, people falling asleep behind the wheel contributed to 72,000 wrecks, 44,000 injuries and 800 fatalities in 2013 alone. If you have been injured in an accident of this nature, a Philadelphia accident lawyer from Metzger & Kleiner could manage the details of your personal injury claim. Distracted driving and drowsy driving cause accidents. Pennsylvania law prohibits drivers from using wireless communication devices. In 2012, police officers gained the ability to pull people over if they are seen using a phone while driving. The first offense imposes a $50 fine. Commercial drivers are held to a higher standard. The first distracted driving citation places a non-sanction violation on a person's commercial driving record.The Law Recognizes the Hazards of Distracted Driving
A driver who had acted negligently by violating the ban on texting while driving might wish to hide this fact after an accident. The attention of an Allentown car accident attorney from our firm could uncover evidence of this negligence. Other forms of distraction also slow the reaction times of drivers. These driving distractions include:- Adjusting the radio controls
- Eating, drinking and smoking
- Searching for objects inside the vehicle
- Using a smartphone to talk or send emails
Distracted Driving Citations on the Rise in Pennsylvania
As of December 2017, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts reported that tickets issued to distracted drivers had increased substantially over the last five years. In 2017 alone, police officers wrote 5,054 citations. This represented a 51 percent increase from 2016 when law enforcement issued 3,336 citations. Court records reveal some interesting trends about who is driving distracted and when, such as:- The month of May had the most tickets.
- Men represented 69 percent of offenders.
- People in their 20s received 37 percent of citations.
- Most tickets were written between 8 a.m. and noon.

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