Distracted Driving

Distracted Driver causes Car Rollover in West Boylston, MA

May 1, 2015, George Barnes (@georgebarnesTG) of the Telegram & Gazette reported on an early morning auto accident in West Boylston, MA.  The car wreck occurred when a driver reached down to pick up his (computer) tablet. As he did so, he veered off the road. While trying to recover, he hit an SUV and sent it into a tailspin. The SUV ended up rolling over and coming to a stop upside down. Mr. Barnes reports,

The driver of the car…reached down to pick up an electronic tablet. The vehicle veered off the travel lane…he lost control…and hit the rear of the SUV, causing it to spin out of control and roll over, coming to rest on its roof up and against the center barrier.

Auto accidents like this are the unfortunate result of distracted driving.

highway auto accident

What is distracted driving?

Although we frequently think of texting and talking on a cell phone as distracted driving, this accident also qualifies. The driver was distracted by the action he was taking. Eating, slurping coffee, putting make up on, shaving, and horsing around with your passengers also qualify as distracted driving. According to this distracted driving flyer at www.distraction.gov,

Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a person
engages in that has the potential to distract them
from the primary task of driving and increase the
risk of crashing.

On www.distraction.gov you will learn that deaths and injuries are on the rise due to distracted drivers:

According to NHTSA, in 2013, Distracted driving is on the rise…and so are deaths. 3,154 people were killed, and an estimated 424,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.

Let that sink in. Nearly 3,200 lives might have been spared and, probably the bulk of the 424,000 accidents could have been avoided had one driver been paying attention.

In the West Boylston case, the SUV driver became the victim of a distracted driver. If you have been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, you should immediately contact an experienced personal injury attorney. The lawyers at Bodkin & Mason specialize in personal injury cases. We have many years of experience getting excellent results for our clients. Please call us (508-459-6253) to explore how we can help you with your personal injury case caused by a distracted driver.