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Any distraction is a hazard for drivers

Distracted driving can be just as deadly as drunk driving. Anyone who is out on the streets of Connecticut needs to ensure that they aren’t letting anything else claim their attention. What many people might not realize is that there are many ways that people who are driving might be distracted.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that there are three forms of distractions that can impact drivers. These include visual, manual and cognitive. In most cases, drivers are dealing with all three of these at once. This can be dangerous or deadly.

One thing that all drivers need to remember is that there isn’t such a thing as a quick distraction when they are driving. The average person spends five seconds reading or responding to a text message. In this time, a car will move the length of a full-size football field in only five seconds if the car is traveling 55 mph. The distance would be even longer if the car is traveling faster, such as on the interstate.

Young people are more likely to become distracted while they are driving than others. When it comes to fatal distracted driving crashes, drivers under the age of 20 have the highest proportion of any age group. The young drivers who are texting while they drive are also more likely to not wear seat belts and are more likely to either drive drunk or ride with a drunk driver.

Crashes caused by distracted drivers can have a significant economic impact on victims. Those who suffer injuries might choose to seek compensation for their injuries and the resulting damages.

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