Distracted Driving Laws In Indiana

First of all, do NOT read this article on your phone, while you are driving!  Distracted driving is a real thing, and it is not just using your phone while driving. Distracted driving kills 3,000 people every year in the United States.

What is distracted driving?

Simply put, it is any non-driving activity that a someone driving a motor vehicle can engage in, that has to ability to distract them from the main task of driving.

What types of distracted driving are there?

According to the Indiana Dept of Labor, there are 3 main types of distracted driving:

• Cognitive Distraction takes your mind of the road
• Visual Distraction takes your eyes off the road
• Manual Distraction take your hands off the wheel

Common distractions that can lead to accidents include:

• Eating or drinking
• Grooming (brushing your hair, applying makeup, flossing)
• Using your cell phone (texting, talking, taking pictures)
• Using a GPS
• Changing music (radio, CDs MP3 players

But, it is only a quick phone call or text

Think about this:  Cell phone use is most risky because it combines all 3 types of distractions.  (Cognitive, visual and manual)

• Talking on a cellphone while driving is the equivalent of driving with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of .08 That’s the legal limit in Indiana.
• Texting increases the risk of an accident by 23 times.
• Someone using a cell phone is 5.36 times more likely to get into an accident.
• Sending or reading a text take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds, long enough to trave the length of a football field when driving 55 mph.

Let us sum things up

Each year there are over 200,000 accidents in Indiana.  The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that in 2016 3,450 people died across the U.S. in crashes linked to distracted drivers, and more than 400,000 more people suffered a distracted driving related injury. 17 percent of all crashes resulting in an injury involved driver distraction.

In 2020, Indiana became the 22^nd state to pass a law prohibiting drivers from holding a smartphone or similar device while behind the wheel.

Distracted driving is no joke.  If you are involved in a distracted driving  accident in Indiana, call the Personal Injury lawyers at Hall Justice!

Learn more here

Still have questions?  Contact the experienced Lafayette, IN Personal Injury attorneys at Hall-Justice Law Firm. It is our job to help you navigate the system to help you get your maximum outcome. If you have been involved in an Indiana Distracted Driving accident, Get Justice. Call 765-742-2987.