The roads of Los Angeles are quite dangerous. There’s congestion, debris, construction zones, impaired drivers and distracted drivers. You also have to compete with the weather, animals, motorcycles and other drivers. One of the biggest dangers, which continues to worsen, is that of the distracted driver. Distracted driving is just as bad as impaired driving because the distracted driver is not focusing on the task at hand. Our Los Angeles car accident attorney would like to explain how you can spot a distracted driver so you can avoid any issues.
Taking Too Long to Accelerate at a Light
If you are stopped at a traffic light behind a vehicle, pay attention to how the driver reacts to the change of the traffic light. Most drivers will wait three seconds, look in both directions, and then accelerate when it is safe to do so. Drivers who are distracted will take longer to accelerate when the light turns green because they are not paying attention to the signal. They could be eating, reading the newspaper, using their phone, changing the radio stations or taking part in any other activity that does not have to do with driving.
Constant Braking
When a driver in front of you is constantly hitting the brakes it could mean that they are distracted. Why is this a sign of distracted driving? For starters, it means that the driver isn’t paying enough attention to the road in front of them. They are either traveling too close to a vehicle in front of them or they are worried they will get in a crash, which is why they constantly apply the brakes.
Swerving in and Out of the Lane
A distracted driver might also exhibit signs of swerving. They might swerve in and out of their lane of travel, swerve in and out of the shoulder, and even swerve into oncoming traffic. Swerving is a common sign of impaired driving too, which is why you should safely maneuver your vehicle away from one that is serving. You never know what might happen.
Speed That Doesn’t Match the Road
If you stumble upon a vehicle whose speed doesn’t match the road, the posted speed limit, or the conditions you could be dealing with a distracted driver. When a driver is distracted they aren’t concerned with monitoring their speed related to driving. This could cause them to either operate their vehicle at a high or slow rate of speed.
A Tilted Head
Have you ever pulled up next to a vehicle, looked over, and noticed the driver’s head is tilted? More than likely the head is tilted down so the driver can look at their phone. This is most often seen at a traffic light but it’s also possible to take note of this when driving on a highway or back road. Another sign of distracted driving is when you notice a driver wearing headphones when behind the wheel. They won’t be able to hear sirens or horns with headphones in their ears.
A Los Angeles car accident attorney will be able to answer all of your personal injury questions after being involved in an accident. Contact the office of JML Law, A Professional Law Corporation, at 818-610-8800 to schedule an appointment.
