Latest Blogs

According to End Distracted Driving, at a minimum, passengers need to train themselves to be considerate of everyone’s safety when they are a passenger. 

1. Do not distract the driver’s attention from the task of driving. 
2. Help calm small children. If there are small children in the car, you can see to their needs so the driver is not distracted. 
3. You can help the driver avoid potential distractions. For example, you can read maps or answer the cell phone for critical messages, as needed, ending the temptation for the driver to try to manage those tasks while driving. 
4. If you are in the front passenger seat, you can control ventilation or adjust the background music so the driver can concentrate on the road. You can pay close attention to signs and landmarks, if you are traveling in an unfamiliar area. 
5. If you are a passenger and the driver repeatedly engages in unsafe behavior, you must speak up. You have a duty to defend the well-being of everyone in the vehicle, and also to protect other travelers on the road. 

A driver’s primary task when driving is attention to the road; however, many often divert their attention by performing non-driving activities. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) conducted a study which showed that interacting with passengers is the most common secondary activity drivers do while driving. 

The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) says that roughly 57 percent of distracted driving accidents were caused by conversations with passengers. While other passenger actions such as children fighting in the back seat or passengers distracting with loud music cause another 7 percent. 

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has also addressed this issue. It says, “Passengers are one of the most frequently reported causes of distraction, with young children being four times more distracting than adults, and infants being eight times more distracting.”  

Teens more likely to be distracted by passengers. 

When teen drivers are in vehicles with others, they are 6 times more likely to have a collision, near collision or loss of control when there is loud conversation in the vehicle, compared to when there are no loud conversations, according to a study done by the University of North Carolina. When there were rowdy passengers, teen drivers were about 2 times more likely to need to stop or slow down quickly compared to when there were no rowdy passengers.

How can drivers handle a passenger who is causing a dangerous distraction? 

A driver has the duty of exercising reasonable care when operating a vehicle so as to avoid injuring anyone including passengers. Should a driver be in a situation where a passenger is causing a disturbance, the situation must be handled. In addition to requesting they stop what they are doing, the driver may have to safely pull over and stop until the situation is resolved. In extreme cases, law enforcement may need to be contacted. 

“Should you or a loved one be a victim in an accident with a distracted driver, contact our experienced team of attorneys. We will meet with you to consider your rights for a potential personal injury case,” said Cape Coral Personal Injury Lawyer, Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

Cape Coral Personal Injury Lawyer, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.