How Distracted Drivers Take Lives

Distracted driving can be as bad as driving while intoxicated.

It's known to science that, despite our beliefs to the contrary, the human brain can really do only one thing well at a time. Today's world, however, is one where multitasking is expected of most everyone. When you're behind the wheel, it's the worst possible time to be multitasking. People do it every day, however, and they sometimes end up taking lives. Here are a few ways that distracted drivers end up hurting, and sometimes killing, their victims.

1: Swerving, lane straddling.

Distracted drivers are notorious for swerving across lanes. They may end up heading down the wrong lane entirely or swerving out of their own lane into others alongside them. When you see a car doing this ahead of you, make sure you stay out of the way. Your horn is also there for a reason and someone drifting into your lane is a perfect reason to hit it.

2: Stop and go for no reason.

Sometimes, distracted drivers will behave a lot like drunk drivers. This can involve stopping in the middle of a lane, jamming on the brakes before a turn and other erratic behavior. Unfortunately, there's no way to predict what these drivers are going to do, so you need to be wary of them if you see this kind of behavior. Keep your distance and let them get by you or off of the road altogether.

3: Merging.

Your mirrors are there to give you additional information about whether or not cars are alongside or behind you. They cannot, unfortunately, tell you whether it's safe to enter a lane. A lot of people who merge onto Interstates pay no attention to the other people in the lane they're entering. These people can create huge pile ups and, in some cases, they end up killing other drivers. Be particularly aware of them when you're on the road. They can be serious threats and are sometimes hard to see coming before it's too late.
A Dallas car wreck lawyer can help you if a distracted driver has caused you to lose someone in your family. While it's not the primary type of suffering that such a death causes, a wrongful death most certainly can result in significant financial hardship for a family. Contact an accident attorney if you've lost someone in a car wreck because of another driver's negligence or because they just weren't paying attention to the road.