Distracted driving is the leading cause of accidents every year in the United States and second only to driving under the influence in fatal accidents. It is an incredible hazard that is responsible for higher insurance rates for everyone, especially those directly involved in related accidents.
One of the biggest problems with distracted driving is that everyone does it from time to time. When it comes to those affected by ADHD, it is almost a given that every time they get behind the wheel, they will end up driving distractedly.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is very dangerous but also nearly impossible to avoid occasionally. Choosing not to drink and drive is an easy decision to make. Even though your judgment is impaired by drinking, you will typically have enough of your senses left to know that it’s a bad idea. You can also make the decision not to drink and drive before you begin drinking by entrusting your keys to someone else.
The main thing that makes not drinking and driving an easy decision to make, though, is that it’s a decision that you only have to make once. You decide not to do it and then follow through.
Distracted driving, however, is a whole other animal.
When it comes to distracted driving, you don’t have to make the decision not to do it once. You have to make the decision over and over and over again, every moment you’re behind the wheel. Long drives on empty highways can make this especially difficult. Without much to engage your interest in the driving process, your mind will start to wander and look for other stimuli.
You may daydream or focus your attention on anything that will engage your mind, if only on the lowest levels. There are many things that can draw your attention within a car. You may not like the song playing on the radio and decide to change the station. You may get a phone call or a text message. You may have food that you decide to snack on. You may have children in the backseat.
Whatever the case may be, it can present a real hazard. If you suffer from ADHD, all of these distractions can prove so much more difficult to overcome. There are things that you can do to help yourself stay engaged, though. Turning off your cell phone is a big one.
People with ADHD might also want to avoid some of the new features in cars, like heads-up displays that can prove to be a further distraction. Getting a car with a manual transmission can help. A manual transmission forces a driver to be more engaged in the operation of the vehicle and leaves less room for distractions.
Other Factors
Other symptoms of ADHD such as risk-taking, thrill-seeking, and poor judgment can also play a role in making safe driving more difficult. All of these risk factors can lead to poor driving behaviors and accidents for people affected by this condition. On average, drivers with ADHD are involved in far more accidents than drivers without the condition.
Medication Can Help
Taking ADHD stimulant medications has been shown to greatly improve the driving performance of people trying to manage this condition. You should talk to your doctor about whether this medication could be right for you and your treatment plan.
File a Claim
If you are involved in an accident caused by another party’s distracted driving, you should contact a car accident lawyer for a free consultation. While the accident claims process with the other driver’s insurance may seem simple, there are dozens of booby traps set by unscrupulous insurance providers to attempt to cheat you out of the money that you deserve.
Insurance companies hate to pay claims, so they will do everything in their power to deny or undervalue your claim. Given the fact that they have decades of experience in this practice, you might find yourself out of your league if you try to take them on on your own. Fortunately, an experienced car accident lawyer knows all of the tricks that these companies will try to play, and how to combat them.
With a competent attorney on your side, with whom you feel comfortable, you can relax. The attorney will present you with the peace of mind to know that your claim is under control so that you can focus on getting healthy and getting your life back to normal.
About the Author:
Cheryl Roy has built a successful legal career over the years. However, she wanted to reach out to people beyond her practice and decided to do so by writing. Cheryl took it as a personal mission to make legal information more accessible to the public. Therefore, she started sharing her expertise with individuals and businesses facing a legal dilemma. Now she has branched out to many online and offline platforms and works as a collaborative editor for Bader Scott Injury Lawyers.
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