Distracted driving is fast becoming one of the greatest risk factors for serious auto accidents in the Portland area and throughout Oregon.  The rise in distracted driving accidents has accompanied the increase in the sue of handheld electronic devices like cell phones, iPads and  MP3 players.  These electronic devices are designed to respond to consumers who have shorter attention spans and a constant need for stimulation.  While these devices can be a valuable communication tool as well as a way to stay connected with others, they also can be a deadly distraction to Oregon drivers who text, talk, surf the web, navigate with GPS, read breaking news reports and otherwise fail to concentrate on potential car accident risks on Oregon roadways.

Drivers who fail to focus their full attention on driving safely to avoid serious auto accidents are becoming one of the leading preventable causes of car accidents in Oregon and throughout the country.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that distracted driving accounts for 20 percent of all car accidents.  Data from the Federal Accident Reporting System (FARS) indicates that distracted driving accounts for almost 5,500 auto accident fatalities per year and traffic accident related injuries to almost 450,000 additional drivers in the U.S per year.  There are many types of distractions that can interfere with safe operation of a car, truck or SUV and result in a serious Oregon car accident including:

• Sending or receiving text messages
• Talking on a cell phone
• Reading the newspaper or a book
• Adjusting the controls on a radio or car stereo
• Putting on makeup
• Eating or drinking
• Engaging in a conversation with a passenger
• Adjusting or studying GPS
• Using a MP3 player to listen to music
• Watching multi-media or movies
• Checking Facebook status or other social network activities
• Reaching around to grab something in the vehicle

As this list shows, the number of distractions that can lead to a fatal car accident in Oregon is virtually endless.  However, cell phones and other communication devices seem to pose the greatest risk.  The NHTSA has estimated that almost one-fifth of all fatal distracted driving auto accidents are caused by the use of cell phones.

The danger associated with the increasing risk of cell phone use in vehicles is reflected by the fact that a recent study conducted by the University of Utah concluded that using a cell phone while driving delays a driver’s response times by as much or more than having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent, which is the level at which a driver is considered legally intoxicated in Oregon.  This recent research regarding the growth of cell phone use while driving along with evidence that it may impair driving ability and delay reactions even more than drunk driving have led some federal safety experts to designate such behavior “the new drunk driving”.

Not only can many triggering events cause distracted driving, but this activity may also take several forms. Generally, three separate types of driver distractions have been identified including visual distractions, manual distractions and cognitive distractions.  A visual distraction is anything that diverts a driver’s eyes from the road, such as looking at a cell phone screen.  Most visual distractions are also accompanied by a cognitive distraction, which includes anything that draws a driver’s mental concentration away from one’s driving.

For example, a driver who is reading a text message is both visually and cognitively distracted in viewing and interpreting the content of the text message.  A physical distraction may also occur simultaneously with the other forms of driving distraction like adjusting a GPS device or car stereo, which may involve all three forms of driving distraction.

An auto accident attorney in Oregon from the firm of Dwyer, Williams, Potter Attorneys, LLP has physical offices conveniently located throughout the State of Oregon.  We have offices located in Bend, Eugene, Grants Pass, Medford, Portland, and Roseburg and serve the following cities in the State of Oregon: Albany, Ashland, Bend, Brownsville, Central Point, Corvallis, Creswell, Eugene, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, Medford, Myrtle Creek, Portland, Redmond, Roseburg, Salem and Springfield.