It’s dangerous to drive on Oregon roadways nowadays, as with most other highways in the nation. Posted speed limits allow you to travel much faster than you could a decade ago, which might come in handy when you’re pressed for time and late for a business luncheon, but can also make it quite difficult to avoid collision if a distracted driver is in your vicinity. It may not be possible to simply pull off the road when vehicles are barreling past at 70 miles per hour.
Distracted drivers are menaces to other motorists and pedestrians. If you recently suffered injury in a car accident, you might want to try to recall what you may have seen just before the accident occurred. There may be evidence that it was a distracted motorist who crashed into your car. If that’s the case, at least you’re able to seek recovery for your losses. The physical injury you suffered was hopefully temporary; your medical records and other testimony can also help substantiate your claim that distracted driving caused you harm.
Did you notice any of these signs?
It’s impossible to “see” some forms of distraction, such as if a driver is merely daydreaming or lost in thought behind the wheel. However, if you noticed any of the following behaviors just before your collision occurred, it may be a sign that the driver who hit you was distracted:
- It is not only intoxicated drivers whose vehicles veer over the center line or sway from side-to-side in their lines. This is also a common sign of distracted driving.
- Traffic flow should basically match traffic patterns.
- If you notice a driver nearby who keeps applying brakes when not needed for the current traffic pattern, consider it a red flag that the driver is not paying attention to the task at hand.
- Let’s say you come to a four-way stop. If another driver does not proceed when it’s his or her turn, or fails to stop at all, it’s best to try to create as much distance as possible between you and that particular vehicle as the driver is likely impaired or distracted.
- Many drivers wear headphones because they believe it’s safer than using hand-held devices while driving.
- Studies show multi-tasking while driving is never safe. If the driver who hit you was wearing headphones, he or she may have been dealing with a distraction.
In most states, including Oregon, texting while driving is illegal. In fact, this state allows no two-way communication via a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. If you believe another driver caused the collision that resulted in your injury, there are support networks in place to help you seek justice, especially if it was a distracted motorist behind the other wheel.