According to CBS42.com out of Birmingham, while nationwide the number of fatalities on the roadways are at a sixty year low, the number of driving deaths in Alabama saw an increase after years of decline. Further,according to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, the total number of traffic accidents increased long with the number of fatalities, also after years of steady decline.
Clay Ingram with AAA of Alabama said that this year, "We saw little bit of an increase in Alabama, an extra 14 fatalities compared to the year before." Ingram attributes the rise to an increase in distracted driving such as texting and emailing on smartphones.
Ingram says that, "Distraction come in a lot of different forms, it can be anything from billboards, to other cars on the road, changing the radio station, eating and drinking and then or course texting."
According to the Governor's Highway Safety Association, Alabama has no law concerning texting and adult drivers. Ingram believes that the legislature should pay such a law containing stiff penalties. Having such a ban in place would allow Alabama to see the same reduction in fatalities that other states have seen.
Accidents will always happen, but Ingram says there are ways we can reduce them from happening. "Be alert, pay attention, and reduce any type of potential distractions, and be safer drivers."
As Birmingham car wreck attorneys we routinely see the devastating aftermath of accidents caused by distracted driving. If you've been the victim of such an accident and need help navigating confusing legal waters, contact our skilled Alabama car accident lawyers today.
