Recently, San Francisco news reported an interesting finding – prolific singers make for bad drivers. According to the article, a study released in the Accident Analysis and Prevention science journal found that "singing along with the radio while operating your motor vehicle is an accident waiting to happen." The study concluded that like texting, talking and eating – singing while driving slows down your response time, increasing the likelihood of getting in a car accident.
Further, even if you're not singing along, simply listening to music or a radio program that vies for your attention may be dangerous. "Any activity that competes for the attention of the driver has the potential to degrade driving performance and may have serious consequences for road safety."
How to decrease driver distraction and improve the safety of California roads remains a pressing concern. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), driver distraction remains a chief cause of accidents in California and throughout the United States. It has been estimated that driver distraction leads to anywhere from 25% to 50% of all accidents. Although texting while driving accidents have rightfully garnered the most attention – anything that causes you to lose focus on the road can lead to a serious personal injury.
The bottom line? Use your best judgment when operating a motorvehicle. While no one expects that San Francisco area drivers will stop listening to music while in their cars, using commonsense and paying attention to the task at hand – driving your car safely from one destination to another – can go a long way in reducing the number of San Francisco car accidents.
For more information or if you or a loved one has been in a car accident as the result of distracted driving or any other cause, please contact the experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.