Hawaii roadways, like most others in the nation, are often busy, traffic-laden places. If you’ve ever sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 20 minutes or more, you understand how frustrating that can be. Not only do high-traffic areas often cause travel delays and driver frustration, the more cars on the road at a time, the higher the risk for collision as well.
Numerous factors, such as speed and road conditions, affect your ability to safely arrive at your destination. One of the biggest roadway hazards in this state and most others is distracted driving. All drivers are obligated to focus on the task at hand and to obey all safety and traffic regulations. If just one driver fails to do so, the results can be tragic and you may be the one to suffer. Whether or not you can achieve a full recovery following a distracted driving accident depends on several issues.
Type of distraction
There are three common categories that encompass most driving distractions. The following list provides a brief description of each, any or all of which may be placing you at risk for injury any time you navigate Hawaii roads:
- Manual distractions occur when a driver takes his or her hands off the wheel to perform some other task while driving, such as adjusting radio knobs, reaching behind a seat to retrieve an item or eating and drinking behind the wheel.
- Safety improves when drivers keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road ahead. Visual distractions often lead to collisions and may include things like reading billboards, gawking at off-road scenes or turning to look at a rear seat passenger.
- Not only must you keep your eyes and hands attentive toward driving, perhaps one of the most critical factors of roadway safety is mental focus. Cognitive distractions include daydreaming, multitasking and engaging in too much interaction with other vehicle occupants.
Distracted driving collisions happen every day, which is frustrating for many travelers, especially those who suffer injury because of it, as this type of collision is typically easy to prevent. If you wind up in the hospital because another driver decided it was okay to send a spouse or friend a text message while driving, it is not only unfortunate but unjust. That’s why the state allows recovering accident victims to seek legal accountability against those whose negligence caused their injuries.
