Social media and driving: A dangerous combo

On Behalf of Johnston Law Offices P.C   |   Oct 17, 2018   |   Car Accidents ,

The temptation to check one’s social media can arise quite often for people these days. The ease of access to social media accounts that smartphones provide contributes to this. So, too does how big of a part such sites have come to play in everyday social life.

However, there are certain times it is critical for individuals to resist this temptation. Among these times are when they are driving.

It is critical for people to keep their focus and attention fixed on driving when they are at the wheel. Checking social media while driving is a major distraction from this, and can result in drivers making mistakes that lead to major accidents.

Unfortunately, despite the dangers social media use while driving carries, a fair number of drivers still do it. This is one of the things a recent survey points to.

The survey was on driver behavior. According to the survey, 18 percent of drivers report checking social media while out on the roads. While this is a good deal lower than the percentage of drivers who report texting while driving (over half of drivers report such behavior), it is still a substantial portion of motorists.

Given the major harms that come from social media use while driving and other types distracted driving, one hopes all drivers in Illinois and Missouri will work hard to stay distraction-free behind the wheel.

As there are certain times it is important for individuals to not be checking social media, there are also times it can be critical for people to be especially careful about what they put on social media. For car accident victims, this includes when they are pursuing compensation for injuries they suffered in the accident. Social media posts are among the things insurance companies may look at to try to find evidence to put towards supporting low-balling a victim on a claim. So, it can be important for crash victims to not post things that could be misconstrued as contradicting claims they are making regarding the injuries they suffered in an accident.

Personal injury attorneys can advise car accident victims on steps they can take to avoid inadvertently endangering their chances of getting fair compensation.