In honor of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the California Highway Patrol is offering some tips for remaining safe while driving on the streets and highways. First and foremost they’d like to remind motorists across the state that text messaging or talking on a handheld cellphone while driving an automobile is against the law in California, and the risks associated with this behavior outweigh any perceived benefits. In the United States distracted driving related car accidents are the primary cause for teen deaths. Novice drivers and drivers under the age of 18 should take special care to ensure the safety of themselves and others when they get behind the wheel.
Listening to your favorite music can make a drive more pleasant, but make your music selections before you hit the streets. Shuffling through albums or scanning the radio while the car is in motion takes your eyes off the road and is therefore very dangerous while the car is in motion.
Don’t perform other tasks such as eating and drinking, applying makeup, shaving, programming a GPS navigation device, etc. while the vehicle is in motion. Your first and only duty as a driver is to get to your destination without endangering the life of yourself or others.
As a Riverside car accident lawyer, I am well aware of the damage distracted drivers can cause. If you have been injured in an accident involving an inattentive driver, please consider contacting a Riverside personal injury lawyer.