What Counts as Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is a big problem in our nation as a whole. While that’s certainly a concern, the rates here in your own proverbial “backyard” in Illinois are what worry you the most since you’re sharing the road with those inattentive motorists day in and out.

When you think of distracted driving, the thought of a motorist talking or texting on their phone may initially come to mind. That also makes sense since you are likely aware that the use of a hand-held cell phone while behind the wheel of a car in our state is illegal.

While Illinois law outlines how motorists can only use cellphones when using voice-activated commands, an earpiece, or a Bluetooth headset, is this the only activity that can distract drivers? No, not at all.

Distractions That Can Impact a Driver’s Ability To Safely Operate Their Vehicle

While cellphone use is undoubtedly one of the biggest distractions affecting motorists, it’s not the only one.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), driving distractions can be visual, manual, or cognitive, meaning they can take a motorist’s eyes, hands, or mind off the road.

An Illinois State Police brochure on distracted driving outlines how each of the following activities qualifies as this dangerous vehicle operation behavior:

• Filing, polishing, or clipping your nails
• Changing the channel on the radio
• Eating
• Reading something
• Sending an email or text
• Inserting contact lenses
• Smoking
• Taking a phone call
• Conversing with a passenger in your vehicle
• Shaving
• Drinking
• Brushing or combing your hair
• Writing a note
• Searching for something in the glove box, center console, or on the floorboard
• Tending to your kids
• Applying makeup
• Taking a medication, including eye drops

As you can tell, there’s no shortage of potentially distracting driving habits, all of which can impact your ability to safely operate a vehicle and cause someone else to collide with your vehicle, severely injuring you.

How Significant of an Issue Is Distracted Driving in Illinois?

Illinois Department of Transportation data from 2022 outlined how, in 2020, our state saw 9,432 distracted driving crashes. Another 2023 Illinois.gov report showed that the ISP issued 10,500 warnings and 7,200 citations for distracted driving in 2022.

None of the data cited above specifically breaks down the data by distraction type. However, while it’s likely that cellphone use is responsible for many of these tickets or crashes, there’s a high probability that other types of distractions, such as the factors described above, are as well.

Steps To Take If You Believe a Distracted Motorist Struck You in Marion, IL

If you have reason to believe that you may be sharing the road with a distracted motorist, you always want to pull over to safety and give them the right of way whenever possible. However, if you’re focusing on the road and what’s going on in your own vehicle, you may miss seeing what’s going on around you, which may give way to a crash.

So, if you have had the misfortune of becoming entangled in a crash that you believe you can attribute to a distracted driver, you may wonder what to do.

If you’re still at the crash scene:

• Check to see if you and anyone else are hurt
• Call 911 and have the police and paramedics (if necessary) come
• Take pictures or video of any concerning behaviors (i.e., a clearly distracted driver) or potential evidence
• Preserve any physical evidence that may be discarded at the accident site
• Speak with witnesses who may have seen the motorist who hit you before the wreck (and write down their contact information)
• Report whatever you noticed about the other driver’s behaviors to the police
• Let paramedics take you for medical treatment is necessary

If you were involved in what you suspect may have been a distracted driving crash recently, you may want to gather together the accident report, medical records, and any other documentation and evidence you may have. Once you’ve done this, consider reaching out to a Marion car accident attorney in our office.

We’ll review any information you’ve compiled and assess it to see whether you have a pursuable claim. Should we find that you do, you can expect us to advise you of compensation you may be eligible to receive by pursuing a case.

Consultations are free at Prince Law Firm. So, get in touch with us to speak with an attorney now.