Daydreaming leading cause of distracted driving accidents

 Posted on April 19, 2013 in Car Accidents

Texting while driving has been touted as the most dangerous behavior behind the wheel. However, a new study shows that drivers should be just as worried about daydreaming while driving. In fact, the study reported that daydreaming and driving can be more dangerous than texting while driving.

Erie Insurance Group conducted the study and reported that drivers who daydream and don't concentrate on the road are five times more dangerous on the road compared to drivers who use their cellphones while driving.

The study's results are somewhat surprising since texting while driving has been in the news so often. While these findings don't downplay the risks of texting while driving, it does show that drivers need to be aware of other dangerous behaviors, like daydreaming, that can significantly increase the risk of being in a car accident.

The study found that 62 percent of distracted driving accidents were blamed on a driver who was daydreaming, while 12 percent of distracted driving accidents were caused by drivers who were using cell phones.

While more accidents appear to be caused by daydreaming, texting while driving is prohibited and it is much easier to prove that a driver who caused the accident was using his or her cellphone compared to trying to prove that the driver was daydreaming.

Victims of distracted driving car accidents can pursue legal action against the negligent person responsible for the accident. While it may be difficult to prove that distractions led to the accident, it may be worthwhile to pursue in a liability lawsuit.

Source: FindLaw, "What's More Dangerous Than Texting and Driving?" Andrew Lu, April 11, 2013