Distracted driving is a persistent problem on Georgia roads. Researchers, government entities, lawmakers and law enforcement are aware of the issue and track statistics to see if strategies to mitigate its effects are working. However, there are growing concerns that the numbers are inaccurate.
Fatal distracted driving crash numbers stoke suspicion
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released and assessed the pertinent statistics for road fatalities from 2021. That year, almost 43,000 people lost their lives in an auto accident. The distracted driving numbers say cellphone use was only a factor in 1% of the fatal collisions.
There appears to be a disparity in the number of reported distracted driving accidents and the true number. A challenge in getting an accurate gauge is a lack of cellphone data. In addition, people are unlikely to confess to having been distracted when the accident occurred.
Given the 16% rise in overall accidents between 2020 and 2021 and that 2021 had the highest number of road fatalities in the United States in 16 years, there is a belief that distraction needs to be looked at more closely. Investigators are not delving into the trove of data available from cellphone records to determine if distraction played a role.
Since all avenues are not being explored to discern whether distraction was involved and people are fearful of the consequences for admitting to it, it is difficult to get a clear picture. This can present obstacles when people who were hurt or lost a loved one weigh their options after car accidents.
It is vital to know why auto accidents happened
When there is an auto crash with injuries and fatalities, people will need to know what steps can be taken in the aftermath. This is to recover financially and personally for all that was lost. Part of that is having a full investigation to determine if distraction was a catalyst or there were other reasons. This can be critical to making a full recovery in every way.