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The Dangers of Driving While Bored

A lot of attention has been paid to drivers using phones on Kentucky roads and other locations throughout the nation. However, bored or inattentive drivers could be just as dangerous as those who are on their phones. Erie Insurance did a study involving 172,000 traffic deaths over the past five years. The research indicated that 10 percent of the people who were killed were the victims of distracted driving of some type.

However, 61 percent of the individuals who lost their lives died because the other drivers weren’t paying attention to the road. People using cell phones caused only 14 percent of the deaths related to distracted driving. Driving while not paying attention may be a natural byproduct of undertaking a task most people find to be routine. While the introduction of self-driving cars may reduce crashes related to human error, it could increase levels of distracted driving when they are first made available.

General Motors and Subaru plan to introduce software meant to track a driver’s eyes whenever the car is in control. Tesla’s Autopilot feature may make drivers even more complacent despite a variety of warnings issued when it thinks they aren’t paying attention. Until cars are fully able to drive themselves, only those people the wheel can prevent themselves from driving while bored or lost in thought.

A distracted driver who causes an accident is typically liable for damages victims of that crash may incur. For instance, an injured victim may incur damages such as hospital bills or the cost of ongoing care. Lost wages and lost future earnings are other common types of compensation a person could receive in a personal injury case. Distracted driving is generally considered to be a negligent action, and it can include anything from thinking about work to talking on a cellphone or with other passengers.